Aaron Rodgers And Nine More Inspiring NFL Comeback Player Of The Year Candidates For 2024

[Music] every NFL season is chalk full of incredible stories underdogs unexpected rookie Sensations even relationships that Captivate a nation nothing however beats the comeback Story the NFL has even rewarded a comeback player of the year every year since Doug fluty in 1998 plus eight players in the NFL and AFL over four seasons in the mid1 1960s the 2023 winner was Joe flacko who at the age of 39 came in to rescue Cleveland after deshaan Watson's season ending injury and led the Browns to the playoffs with an incredible five-game stretch where he completed 60% of his passes with 13 touchdowns critics wondered what flacko was actually coming back from which turned out to be losing his starting job several years prior and after the season added language that reads a player who has demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity by overcoming illness physical injury or other circumstances that led him to misplaying time the previous this season quarterbacks have won comeback player of the year every year since Andrew Luck in 2018 and besides a 4-year stretch from 2014 to 2017 that awarded Rob gronowski Eric Barry Jordy Nelson and Keenan Allen it goes back to Chad Pennington in 201 2008 Pennington and San Diego Chargers running back Paul low are the only players to win it twice and Pennington is the only player to win it for two different teams the Jets in 2006 and the Dolphins in 2008 some of the all-time great quarterbacks like Drew Brees in 2004 Tom Brady in 2009 and pton Manning in 2012 have won the cpoy so let's start with one who hasn't but is the oddson favorite for 2024 Aaron Rodgers no player was more hyped enery in the 2023 season than Aaron roders after months if not years of drama surrounding his eventual departure from Green Bay to join the Jets Rogers was the very clear centerpiece of Hard Knocks and brought in a bunch of buddies to help him turn the alien franchise around so when Rogers tore as Achilles tendon on the fourth play of the first game of the season it was essentially the snap her round the world Rogers being Rogers managed to convince reporters he could come back before the end of the season and reports showed he recovered remarkably fast but Achilles injuries are rather serious and Rogers debut season in New York was a wash sure Aaron's now 40 but Brady played at a high level at that age and since the injury the Jets especially the offense have only improved with Breeze Hall getting healthy and former charger Mike Williams joining the receiving Corp of course Aaron Rogers was not the only quarterback to tear his Achilles in 2023 just the first Kirk Cousins suffered the same injury in the fourth quarter of the Vikings week eight game against the Packers Kirk who had become a fan favorite after starring in the inaugural quarterback series on Netflix had completed 69. 12% of his passes before the injury the third best over his career cousins entered the offseason a free agent and very quickly signed a huge new deal with the Falcons and has since completed his Rehabilitation like Minnesota Atlanta has a young wide receiver star in Drake London plus an athletic first round tight end in Kyle pittz and a pass catching running back in bejon Robinson cousins also has something he never had with the Vikings competition the Falcons drafted Michael penx in the first round Nick chub has been one of the NFL's best running backs since being drafted with the 35th pick in 2018 he was averaging a career-high 6.1 yards per carry before a gruesome knee injury in game two against the Steelers it was the same knee chub injured at Alabama in 2015 and with a torn MCL and ACL that would require multiple surgeries some wondered if he would ever play football again but heading into 2024 training camp chubbas posted video squatting massive weight and running and cutting in drills without p coach Kevin stefansky has not made any indication of win chub will return to the field but the return will be impressive whatever week it is JK Dobbins was a star at Ohio State where he never missed a game with an injury and became the first Buckeye in history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season after being drafted 55th overall in 2020 Dobbins had an impressive rookie season with the Ravens averaging six yards per carry and scoring nine touchdowns in just 134 carries but but it's been tough goinging since in 2021 Dobbin suffered a torn ACL in the final preseason game and missed the season in 2022 he suffered another knee injury and only played seven games and then in 2023 Dobbins tour his Achilles on his eighth carry in week 1 and again missed the rest of the season now JK has recovered and hoping to avoid the injury plague in his new surroundings as a member of the Chargers also new to Los Angeles is head coach Jim Harbaugh who is promising the bolts are going to Lean On The Run Dobbins will compete for touches with fellow X Raven Gus Edwards who has never averaged more than 5.3 yards per carry a lot of football fans feel like Baker Mayfield should have won comeback Player of the Year in 2023 for finally delivering a breakout season on his fourth team in his seventh season so who is this year's Baker the quarterback most likely to break through in fresh surroundings is certainly Sam darnold with rookie first-rounder JJ McCarthy side line for the season with an injury darnold will lead the Vikings and throw to the League's best receiver Justin Jefferson as well as promising sophomore Jordan Addison and talented tight end TJ hackinson darnold was the number three overall pick in 2018 but never put it together in three seasons with the Jets much like the QBs before and after him he then played two seasons in Carolina again not exactly a team loaded with weapons before signing a one-year deal with the 49ers in San Francisco's final game with Brock pie getting rest Donald was 16 of 26 for 189 yards and passing and rushing touchdowns it was convincing enough for the Vikings no player has ever won comeback player of the year after playing just their rookie season Anthony Richardson or tank Dell could change that drafted fourth overall by the Colts Richardson was completing nearly 60% of his passes and rushed for three touchdowns in his first two games before missing the third with a concussion in week four he scored again on the ground and twice in the air he then suffered an AC joint in week five that kept him out the remainder of the season but expectations are high in head coach shaine siken second year after catching for more than 3,000 yards in three seasons at the University of Houston Dell was drafted in the third round by his home team the Texans took the receiver on the suggestion of their rookie quarterback CJ Stout who was impressed with tank at the combine Dell developed instant chemistry with stoud and was on an absolute role before fracturing his fibula in week eight and missing the remainder of the Season sure the Texans have a lot of mouse to feed with the addition of Stefan Diggs and pass catching back Joe Mixon alongside Alpha Nico Collins but Dell could very easily lead that unit and the Texans as strange as it sounds could have the best offense in the [Music] NFL only one tight end is one comeback Player of the Year in NFL history Rob gronowski in 2014 That season coming back from ACL in MCL surgeries Grant caught 82 passes for 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns in 15 games Mark Andrews has never had more than 10 touchdowns but his 2021 season featured 107 catches for 1,361 yards better numbers than any grank season in other words Andrews is Elite he started 2023 inactive with a quad injury and then in week 11 suffered a crack fibula and ankle ligament injury Andrews was reportedly having a great training camp until he was involved in a car accident and missed several practices in the days following the Ravens have said Andrews is fine and will be ready to go week one Baltimore led by one of the League's top quarterbacks in Lamar Jackson will be in their second season with offensive coordinator Todd monin who has described his scheme as a nightmare to defend Andrew second-year receiver Z flowers and new free agent Sig Derk Henry will be the keys to that after Joey Bosa won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 201 16 and his brother followed suit a few years later it appeared the NFL had found its heirs to the walk Brothers Throne however in his eight seasons with the Chargers Joey has only played all 16 games three times BOS has only played 14 games total since 2021 dealing with groin and foot injuries Bosa also suffered a hand injury in early August and missed most of Camp although the bolts insist he will be ready for week one a defensive end has not one comeback player of the year since Greg Ellis in 2007 the Cowboys Rush had a career-high 12 and 1 half sacks That season which Bosa did his second season in 2017 the Chargers have a new head coach in Jim harau which could be helped with a reset for Bosa Joe burrow threw for more than 9,000 yards in the 2021 and 2022 Seasons with 69 touchdowns establishing himself as one of the NFL's top signal callers however 2023 did not go as planned the former Heisman winner at LSU suffered a calf strain early in training camp and miss all of preseason after signing a new contract that made him the League's highest paid player burrow started relatively slow with the completion percentage just above his rookie season of 65.3% burrow peaked in week eight completing his first 19 passes in a big win over the 49ers a few weeks later though burrow tore a ligament in his right wrist and was placed on injured reserve the following day the Bangals lost running back Joe Mixon to free agency so could rely more on the pass in 2024 since retain T Higgins so assuming Jamar Chase's contract issue gets resolved burrow and the bagels could get back to being one of the NFL's best offenses [Music]