Next year’s NFL Honors ceremony will have an extra piece of silverware to hand out following the creation of a new award to recognise the league’s best offensive lineman.

To be known as the ‘Protector of the Year’ award, the winner of the category will be determined by a panel of peers, including two former players that pushed hardest to see their counterparts recognised for the work they do in the trenches to keep their quarterback upright.

“I’m going to give credit to Dion Dawkins from Buffalo,” NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said when revealing the category on Wednesday. “He was truly instrumental — him and Andrew Whitworth — in making sure that we recognise the big fellas. LeCharles Bentley, Jason Kelce, Shaun O’Hara, Orlando Pace, Will Shields and Andrew Whitworth will be the [selection] panel, and have come up with criteria on skills, metrics, impact, leadership, durability and strength of the opponent.”

Until now, the O-line fraternity has had to hope that one of their number performed so well across a season to be recognised for the wide-ranging Offensive Player of the Year award, but the new Protector of the Year category finally acknowledges the impact tackles, guards and centers have on the game.