Last year, Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award after going from backup status with the New York Jets in 2022 to leading the Browns to a playoff berth. He finished ahead of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who returned in 2023 after his hospitalization for cardiac arrest suffered in-game in 2022.
His win - despite Hamlin earning more first-place votes - caused the Associated Press (AP) to clarify what the award should be going forward.
AP senior NFL writer Rob Maaddi, who oversees voting for All-Pro and NFL awards, stated Comeback Player of the Year is to honor a player who has come back from illness, injury, or other circumstances that forced him to miss playing time the year before. That framing of the award favors players like Hamlin over Flacco going forward.
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There are multiple players that could meet that criteria for the Comeback Player of the Year award in 2024. Here's how the top five look in odds from BetMGM:
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Odds as of Aug. 21.
Rodgers has a great combination of factors to win the award in 2024. He missed all but one drive of last season after tearing his Achilles. He has talent around him on offense to produce at a high level in 2024, including wide receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall. This team should be competitive overall with one of the better defenses in the league powered by recent first-team All-Pros Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams.
They start the season with just one 2023 playoff team in the first five weeks. A playoff berth and a stat line close to what he posted in 2022 with the Green Bay Packers (3,695 yards, 27 total touchdowns, 12 interceptions) would make him a favorite for the award.
Burrow won the award in 2021 by leading Cincinnati to the Super Bowl a year after suffering a season-ending knee injury. He could do it again in 2024. The Bengals' offensive line should be better than last season and Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins form arguably the best wide receiver duo in the league. The Bengals look to be incorporating more play action in 2024, something that should boost Burrow's efficiency.
The AFC North will likely be tough again this season but Cincinnati balances that out with games against New England, Washington, Carolina, the New York Giants, Las Vegas, Tennessee, and Denver. A top seed in the AFC playoffs wouldn't be a surprise and that makes Burrow a great contender for the award.
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Cousins also suffered a torn Achilles in 2023 but still signed the biggest deal of free agency to join the Atlanta Falcons. He has a standout group of skill position players including running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Drake London, and tight end Kyle Pitts. He'll be behind a solid offensive line as well led by second-team All-Pro guard Chris Lindstrom.
There's high expectations in Atlanta but opportunity as well. The NFC South looks like one of the weaker divisions prior to the season and the Falcons have the second-easiest schedule in the league. Atlanta's schedule starts off tough with three of their six games against 2023 playoff teams in a row. Cousins could move closer to Rodgers and Burrow as the season progresses.
Richardson played in just four games in 2023 before an AC joint sprain ended his season in Week 5. He was one of the most athletic quarterback prospects in NFL history prior to his rookie season.
Richardson's top weapons are running back Jonathan Taylor, who is just two seasons removed from first-team All-Pro honors, and wideout Michael Pittman Jr. Like Atlanta, Indianapolis gets their tough games out of the way early. The Colts close the season with five games against non-playoff teams from 2023. Richardson could build his case as the season wears on into December.
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A running back hasn't won Comeback Player of the Year since 2001 but Chubb is the kind of talent who could break that drought. Chubb ranks third in NFL history in yards per carry (5.3) among running backs.
Cleveland has one of the hardest schedules in the league and Chubb won't be back on the field to start the season. The Browns and Chubb have not provided a return date at time of publishing. If he misses the first half of the season, that could hurt his chances at the award. Cleveland plays eight games against playoff teams from last season in 2024; six of those games are from Week 8 onward. But a strong season behind a run-heavy offense could make him an exception to the recent run of quarterbacks.
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Next five: QB Daniel Jones, New York Giants, QB Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings, RB J.K. Dobbins, Los Angeles Chargers (+2000); QB Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals (+2500); QB Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (+3000)
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