Has any NFL player ever won Time Person of the Year award?

Every year, Time magazine releases its Time Person of the Year award. The esteemed publication has been doing this tradition annually since 1927.

Charles Lindbergh was the first-ever winner of the Time Person of the Year award. He earned it after completing the first transatlantic flight in history.

On Monday, Time announced Elon Musk would be the recipient of this year's Time Person of the Year award. Musk is the richest man on Earth, and has been at the forefront of technological innovation.

But Time's decision to crown Musk brings up questions surrounding the award. The questions range from how does Time decide the winner?

As well as whether an NFL player has ever won the award.

Colin Kaepernick was runner-up for Time Person of the Year award in 2017

Colin Kaepernick received the Muhammad Ali Legacy Award in 2017

No NFL player has ever won the Time Person of the Year award in its 94-year run. The closest the league has come to crowing a winner was in 2017.

That year, Colin Kaepernick finished runner-up to The Silence Breakers. The Silence Breakers are the figureheads of the "Me Too" movement.

Kaepernick was in the running due to his controversial but brave stance. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback knelt during the national anthem.

Kaepernick took this stance to protest racial injustice across North America.

From late 2016 through early 2017, Kaepernick's actions were prominent across all major news outlets. Although Kaepernick didn't win the award, his stance gave a lot of people in the country hope and inspiration.

Unfortunately for Kaepernick, he never received a shot to play in the NFL again after that season.

As for why Kaepernick didn't win the award, Time's website has a section explaining how they select a winner. Time's Person of the Year award goes,

"To the person or persons who most affected the news and our lives, for good or ill, and embodied what was important about the year, for better or for worse."

With this in mind, it's indisputable the Silence Breakers were worthy of the award in 2017. Their bravery to speak out gave women across the United States the confidence to speak out against gender injustices.

Although no NFL player has won the Time Person of the Year award yet, there's always the chance someone does. The NFL is the most popular and watched sport in the country, and its athletes inspire many.

---