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Jacksonville Jaguars punter Logan Cooke was named the team’s nominee for the NFL’s 2025 Walter Payton Man of The Year Award.
The award is given to recognize a player’s “excellence on and off the field” and is considered by some to be the league’s most prestigious honor. Cooke was accused of threatening to “kill” an opponent last week.
The accusations came after Jacksonville’s 25-3 victory over the Tennessee Titans last Sunday.
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Jacksonville Jaguars placekicker Cam Little (39) celebrates a field goal against the Tennessee Titans with Logan Cooke, left, during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Titans running back Julius Chestnut alleged that Cooke threatened him in the fourth quarter. During a punt in that quarter, Cooke triggered punt returner Chimere Dike at the end of a 47-yard return with 14:06 left in the game. Cooke was hurt and evaluated for a concussion before returning to punt later in the quarter.
Players from both teams got into another brawl at the end of another Dike return with 11:49 left in the game. That led to Chestnut and Cooke getting into an incident. Cooke was among those given a penalty for unnecessary roughness. Titan’s security Mike Brown was kicked out.
“I was just trying to play hard and he came up to me and said he was going to kill me,” Chestnut said after the game. “So I don’t know what made him do it.”
Chestnut said he was never given an explanation as to why Cooke was upset with him.
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Tennessee Titans safety Mike Brown (44) runs into Jacksonville Jaguars punter Logan Cooke (9) during the second half at Nissan Stadium. No penalties were called on the play on November 30, 2025. (Steve Roberts/Imagn Images)
“It was surprising to me. I’ve never seen anything like it before,” Chestnut said.
Cooke was not asked specifically about his heated moment with Chestnut. He said after the match that he enjoys beating people and that Chestnut got the upper hand during the “eventful” game.
Cooke admitted he made “rude” comments to the referee after the match.
“I might have said some things that sounded rude, so I wanted to clear the air,” Cooke said of his conversation with the judge. “I don’t like people holding a grudge against me. So kind of tell him the situation and also find out his take on what happened on that play in the end zone.”
Cooke, a Pro Bowler last season, has been with the Jaguars for eight years. Jacksonville selected him in the seventh round of the 2018 draft.
Social media users had mixed reactions to Cooke’s nomination in the days following the allegation.
“WP[M]OY nominee out here threatening to knock off his opponents,” one user wrote.
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Another user wrote: “Well deserved, he’s been killing it on and off the pitch.”
Meanwhile, the Houston Texans nominated linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair for the prestigious award. Al-Shaair drew criticism last season when he delivered an illegal hit on Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Travis Kelce, Derrick Henry, Baker Mayfield and Jordan Love are among the other 32 players nominated for the award this year.
