NFL insider proposes change in Comeback Player of the year voting that would disqualify Joe Flacco-esque year
Joe Flacco's performance with the Cleveland Browns was one of the biggest surprises in the NFL last season. He stepped in to replace Deshaun Watson, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury, and led the Browns to the playoffs.
The Browns had a record of 5-1 with Flacco as their quarterback last season, and a five-game winning streak to end the season helped them make the playoffs. Despite the team's loss in the Wildcard Round against the Houston Texans, the 39-year-old quarterback secured the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award.
Many were surprised by Flacco winning the award, as they thought Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin had a stronger claim to win it. Hamlin basically returned to play after fighting with death, whereas Flacco basically didn't play well for the New York Jets in the previous season.
Rob Maaddi, an NFL insider, recently posted on X and said that the Associated Press has revised the criteria that voters will look for when choosing the Comeback Player of the Year moving forward.
"Here’s the criteria we’ll ask voters to consider starting this season for the AP Comeback Player of the Year award: The spirit of the AP Comeback Player of the Year award is to honor a player who has demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity by overcoming illness, physical injury or other circumstances that led him to miss playing time the previous season," Rob Maaddi wrote.
The new criteria would allow players who are returning from injuries or health issues to win the award, rather than those who simply had a better performance from the previous year. Not only Joe Flacco but Geno Smith, who won the award in 2022, was given the award for just playing better.
Here is a list of players who have won the Comeback Player of the Year award in the past five years:
NFL's Comeback Player of the Year: Candidates for 2024 season
Various star players will be eligible to win the Comeback Player of the Year award this upcoming season. Here's a list of some of them:
- Aaron Rodgers
- Joe Burrow
- Deshaun Watson
- Anthony Richardson
- Kirk Cousins
- Trevon Diggs
- Nick Chubb
Based on the previous recipients of the award, it seems like the quarterbacks will have the edge over other positional players. As of now, Joe Burrow looks like the ideal player to win the award, as his team is still a Super Bowl contender, and the Bengals having a good record will boost his chances of winning the Comeback Player of the Year.