This will be an interesting award as Damar Hamlin, who did incredibly make it back this season after his cardiac arrest on the field last season, “only" played 17 defensive snaps during the regular season. He did play 94 special teams snaps and 13 defensive snaps this postseason.
Is it possible that the award may go to Joe Flacco considering his impact on the Browns after Deshaun Watson was injured for the final five games of the season? It doesn’t seem likely given Hamlin’s improbable return from such a tenuous situation just a year ago.
NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award Odds
All NFL odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook and are current as of Tuesday, Jan. 2nd, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. ET.
- Damar Hamlin, S, Buffalo Bills (-143)
- Joe Flacco, QB, Cleveland Browns (+103)
- Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins (+400)
- Baker Mayfield, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+1400)
- Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams (+6750)
Hamlin is still the favorite for CPOY after coming back from suffering cardiac arrest during a game last season.
NFL Comeback Player of the Year Prediction
Damar Hamlin, S, Buffalo Bills (-143)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
Hamlin is the rightful favorite and while the other finalists provided great storylines by bouncing back from the skepticism surrounding their respective careers, cheating death to return to the field even in a limited capacity is still beyond incredible.
At just 25 years old, Hamlin still could come back in a bigger way next season. The Bills’ starting strong safety, Jordan Poyer, will be 33 years old by next season, so we’ll see if Hamlin steps up to the forefront of the depth chart.
Best NFL Comeback Player of the Year Sleeper Bets
Joe Flacco, QB, Cleveland Browns (+103)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 0.75 Units
So you didn’t have a successful Joe Flacco late November comeback on your NFL bingo card? Big oversight there.
After Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending injury, the Browns signed Flacco to their practice squad on November 20. Dorian Thompson-Robinson was ruled out with a concussion after Week 13, pushing Flacco to the starting gig the following game.
A solid individual performance in a loss to the Rams gave way to Cleveland and Flacco ending the season on a four-game win streak. As improbable as it may have been, it likely isn’t enough to move the needle enough to win the award though the odds were favorable for Flacco after Week 18.
