With a compelling comeback story, former Cleveland Browns QB Joe Flacco secured the AP Comeback Player of the Year for 2023. However, fans have remained split on this decision, favoring Damar Hamlin as their clear choice. They argue that sitting out 11 weeks as a free agent and leading a team to the playoffs wasn’t quite enough to justify the honor, especially compared to overcoming a life-threatening injury. As it happens, their sentiment proved to be influential.
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According to anchor and reporter Andrew Siciliano, there is now a primary criterion to contend for the Comeback Player of the Year award: making a return from injury. “To win the award next year, you must ‘come back’ from an injury,” claimed Andrew Siciliano.
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Though Siciliano doesn’t relate it to Hamlin directly, the Buffalo Bills’ safety came back from a cardiac arrest that he suffered on the field. Therefore, his mere return to the field made him a hero of the masses.
On the other hand, Flacco waited week after week for a chance to return to the NFL. As he donned the Browns jersey, the 39-year-old made his mark with a 4-1 record as a starter and earned a nomination for the award, eventually winning it.
Though Flacco’s story is inspiring, the updated rules might have ruled him out and made way for Hamlin instead. But, Flacco’s win isn’t the only anomaly that the award has seen.
Andrew Siciliano Shares a Previous Comeback Story Like Joe Flacco’s
Just as Flacco won his award without overcoming an injury, 2022 winner Geno Smith earned the accolade for his revival in the league. However, the comeback was not from a physical setback but from his position as a backup the previous year. Under the new rule reiterated by Siciliano, Geno’s remarkable 2022 season might not have qualified him for the award either.
That said, Joe Flacco’s comeback story, which Siciliano shared, was met with skepticism by many after his win against Hamlin. Therefore, the Associated Press has since provided new guidelines for the award to honor players who have shown resilience by overcoming significant adversity, such as illness or injury.
This change in criteria was influenced by the controversies around Geno Smith’s 2022 win and Flacco’s 2023 win. Both players received recognitions for their impressive returns to form rather than overcoming physical injuries. However, the new changes can help clarify the award’s purpose while making it less prone to controversies.
Who do you think will snag the Comeback Player of the Year award this year? Could it be Aaron Rodgers, or perhaps Kirk Cousins or Joe Burrow?
