The 2026-27 NFL Comeback Player of the Year odds are now open for new action at legal online sportsbooks. The current betting favorite is Christian McCaffrey (), with Dak Prescott () tailing.
Latest NFL Comeback Player of the Year odds for 2026
Breaking down previous NFL Comeback Player of the Year winners
The table below has details on the last decade of NFL Comeback Player of the Year award winners.
| Year | Player | Team | Came back from? | Age |
| 2024 | Joe Burrow | Bengals | Wrist surgery (November 2023) | 28 |
| 2023 | Joe Flacco (QB) | Browns | Declining performance | 38 |
| 2022 | Geno Smith (QB) | Seahawks | Took over starting role | 33 |
| 2021 | Joe Burrow (QB) | Bengals | Return from knee surgery | 25 |
| 2020 | Alex Smith (QB) | Washington | Missed entire season — leg injury | 36 |
| 2019 | Ryan Tannehill (QB) | Titans | Trade from Dolphins | 31 |
| 2018 | Andrew Luck (QB) | Colts | Lost season — shoulder injury | 29 |
| 2017 | Keenan Allen (WR) | Chargers | Torn ACL in previous season opener | 25 |
| 2016 | Jordy Nelson (WR) | Packers | Lost season — torn ACL | 31 |
| 2015 | Eric Berry (S) | Chiefs | Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis and treatment | 27 |
Over the past five years, the NFL Comeback Player of the Year has highlighted some of the league’s most inspiring stories: Alex Smith’s return from a devastating leg injury in 2020, Joe Burrow’s comeback from a torn ACL to lead the Bengals to a Super Bowl berth in 2021, Geno Smith’s career resurgence in 2022, Joe Flacco’s late-season revival with the Browns in 2023, and Burrow again in 2024 after wrist surgery, when he led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns—making him only the second player ever to win the award twice.
Comeback Player of the Year odds tracker
Here’s a look at the odds for Comeback Player of the Year award contenders and the movement since the initial release of lines at sports betting sites in the US. Click on the current odds if you wish to place a bet.
| Player | Current Odds | July 22 Odds | Opening Odds |
| Aidan Hutchinson | +285 | +250 | |
| Dak Prescott | +290 | +310 | |
| Christian McCaffrey | +315 | +300 | |
| Trevor Lawrence | +500 | +450 | |
| J.J. McCarthy | +750 | +700 | |
| Nick Chubb | +4750 | +4000 | |
| Maxx Crosby | +2500 | +2250 | |
| Daniel Jones | +2500 | N/A | |
| Stefon Diggs | +2750 | +2900 | |
| Tua Tagovailoa | +2050 | +2000 | |
| Chris Godwin | +3250 | +3250 | |
| Rashee Rice | +1400 | +1300 | |
| Deshaun Watson | +5000 | +4500 | |
| Brandon Aiyuk | +3500 | +2750 |
History of quarterbacks winning Comeback Player of the Year
Quarterbacks are riding a six-season winning streak of the Comeback Player of the Year award. That broke a run of four years in which the award went to another position. Prior to that, QBs had won the previous six.
In preseason odds for this season’s winner, a QB holds down the top four spots on the odds board and eight of the top nine. The four top favorites are all returning from injury, making them strong contenders to win if they can deliver a successful bounce-back campaign.
In the 2024 NFL Comeback Player of the Year voting, Joe Burrow received 27 of 50 first-place votes, comfortably securing the award ahead of fellow finalists like Russell Wilson and Baker Mayfield.
NFL Comeback Player of the Year FAQ
Chad Pennington won the award in 2006 as a member of the New York Jets and in 2008 with the Miami Dolphins. Chargers RB Paul Lowe won the award in 1963 and 1965.
The Chargers have produced the most Comeback Player of the Year award winners with five. Keenan Allen (2017) was the team’s most recent winner. The Patriots are next with four.
The AP Comeback Player of the Year was first awarded in 1963. Through 1966, one NFL and one AFL player each received an award. The honor was sidelined from 1967 to 1997 and has been awarded annually since 1998.
Yes. The award is open to players at any position, including quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, and defensive players, as long as they have overcome injury, illness, or other setbacks to return to the field.