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For the second time in his career, Joe Burrow has won the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award.
The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback earned the honor on Thursday over finalists such as Minnesota Vikings passer Sam Darnold, Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins, New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez and Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin.
Burrow helped lead the Bengals to playoff appearances in 2021 and 2022, but his 2023 campaign was cut short after he suffered a wrist injury in Week 11 that ultimately required season-ending surgery.
The 28-year-old’s availability during the ensuing year wasn’t affected by the procedure, as he appeared in all 17 regular-season games during his 2024 campaign. Although Cincinnati failed to meet expectations and narrowly missed the playoffs with a 9-8 record, Burrow wrapped up an impressive individual season.
He completed 70.6 percent of his throws, leading the NFL with 4,918 yards and 43 touchdown passes. Burrow averaged a career-high 289.3 yards per game through the air and was picked off just nine times.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft previously won the award for the 2021 season, leading the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance after suffering a torn ACL and MCL in his rookie year.
Darnold started in 55 of his first 56 games in the league, but he spent the 2023 season as a backup on the San Francisco 49ers after struggling with turnovers and overall inconsistency. He was inserted into a starting role when 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy went down for the season with a torn meniscus, blowing past expectations and leading the Vikings to a 14-3 record.
Dobbins’ 2023 season came to a swift end after suffering an Achilles tear in Week 1, later signing a one-year deal with the Chargers as a free agent. In 13 appearances during his 2024 campaign, he rushed for a career-high 905 yards and nine touchdowns as Los Angeles earned a playoff berth.
Gonzalez was selected by the Patriots in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft, but he suffered a torn labrum that required season-ending shoulder surgery after just four games. He started in 16 contests during his sophomore campaign, racking up 11 passes defensed and two interceptions while emerging as a bright spot in New England’s secondary.
Hamlin appeared in just five games with Buffalo in 2023 as he recovered after going into cardiac arrest on the field in Week 17 of the 2022 season. He momentarily didn’t have a pulse before he was defibrillated. Hamlin made 14 starts in 2024, and his two interceptions were tied for the Bills’ lead.
Burrow overcame season-ending surgery for another stellar year in which he led the league in multiple passing categories, resulting in his second Pro Bowl nod.
He’ll also be receiving another Comeback Player of the Year award.
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