The NFL Comeback Player of the Year is a prestigious award, but for a different reason than most NFL awards. Awards like Defensive Rookie of the Year are based solely around a player’s performance in a season. Comeback Player of the Year, though, is based on how a player performs along with their ability to rebound from an injury or otherwise unfortunate situation.
Recent recipients of this award have come back from knee injuries, broken bones, and even a return from a fight against cancer. While the players in the running for other awards may have had better seasons, the players in the running for this award are typically players who we are all simply glad to see back on the field performing at a high level.
This season, there are a few great candidates to win the Comeback Player of the Year award, both in terms of their ability and their fight to get back on the field. There are also a few simple redemption stories that have nothing to do with returning from injury, as some players just look to get back to their best level of play on the field.
Alright, now that the sentimental side of the post has been covered, letโs look at the odds for this year’s NFL Comeback Player of the Year:
NFL Comeback Player Of The Year Odds:
NFL Comeback Player of the Year Race
Damar Hamlin, Buffalo Bills
The favorite at NFL betting sites to win NFL Comeback Player of the Year early on in 2023 is understandably Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills. Hamlin’s life was legitimately in danger when he collapsed on the field against the Cincinnati Bengals late in the 2022 regular season. But he is back and participating this season for the Bills, which is great to see. The question here will be whether or not he plays enough actual football to win this award. So far, he has not, but that may not matter in the eyes of voters given everything he went through.
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Tua Tagovailoa suffered some scary head injuries in 2022, but he is back and better than ever to start the 2023 season. Tagovailoa has lit the rest of the NFL up for much of this season, including a 70-point outburst from his Miami Dolphins against the Denver Broncos in Week 3. If he stays healthy and keeps putting up gaudy numbers, he could very well surpass Hamlin in the race for this award, as he is also in contention for the NFL MVP award.
Other Comeback Player of the Year Candidates
There are not many other great choices to win Comeback Player of the Year so far this season, but a few worth considering. Matt Stafford, Lamar Jackson, and Russell Wilson have all had good years for their respective teams. While they don’t quite stack up against Tagovailoa and Hamlin, they can’t be ruled out just yet either.
NFL Comeback Player of the Year Prediction
The quarterback position has dominated the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award recently. Quarterbacks have won this award five straight times, with Andrew Luck, Ryan Tannehill, Alex Smith, Joe Burrow, and Geno Smith making up that group. We will take another quarterback to win this award, as Tua Tagovailoa’s statistical output makes him more than worth taking to come out on top at a plus price over Damar Hamlin.