NFL Comeback Player of the Year odds are available at legal online sportsbooks. The current betting favorite to win is Kirk Cousins (+175), with J.K. Dobbins (+450), Joe Burrow (+525), and Kyler Murray (+600) all tied for the second spot on the odds board.
Latest NFL Comeback Player of the Year odds for 2025
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 |
| 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 |
| 2014 | Rob Gronkowski (TE) | Patriots | Torn ACL and MCL | 25 |
Seven of the last 10 winners have made a successful return following a season-ending medical-related issue. Tannehill, Smith, and Flacco are the outliers, with all three QBs seeing a boost in performance in either new surroundings or new roles.
Five of the award winners over the past decade — and four of the last five — have won the award at age 30 or older. Flacco, last season’s winner, tops the list at 38, delivering a rejuvenated performance after taking over as the starter for the Browns.
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 23 Odds | Opening Odds |
| Aaron Rodgers | Aaron Rodgers +15000 on DraftKings | +200 | +100 |
| Joe Burrow | Joe Burrow -250 on DraftKings | +300 | +200 |
| Kirk Cousins | Kirk Cousins +10000 on DraftKings | +600 | +500 |
| Anthony Richardson | Anthony Richardson +15000 on DraftKings | +700 | +750 |
| Nick Chubb | Nick Chubb +30000 on DraftKings | +1300 | +3000 |
| Daniel Jones | Daniel Jones +25000 on BetMGM | +2000 | +2500 |
| Deshaun Watson | Deshaun Watson +20000 | +3300 | +1500 |
| Kyler Murray | Kyler Murray +10000 on DraftKings | +4500 | +3000 |
| Justin Herbert | Justin Herbert +9000 on DraftKings | +5000 | +6000 |
| Tank Dell | Tank Dell +25000 | +5000 | +2500 |
| J.K. Dobbins | J.K. Dobbins +2500 on DraftKings | +5000 | +6000 |
| Jacoby Brissett | Jacoby Brissett +20000 on DraftKings | +6000 | +6000 |
| Bryce Young | Bryce Young +20000 on DraftKings | +6500 | +10000 |
| Joey Bosa | Joey Bosa +15000 | +7000 | +6000 |
| Russell Wilson | Russell Wilson +15000 on DraftKings | +7000 | +1200 |
| Jameis Winston | Jameis Winston +5000 on DraftKings | +8000 | +8000 |
| Kenny Pickett | Kenny Pickett +20000 on DraftKings | +8000 | +8000 |
| Sam Howell | Sam Howell +20000 on DraftKings | +8000 | +6000 |
| Sam Darnold | Sam Darnold +160 on DraftKings | +8000 | +3000 |
| Justin Fields | Justin Fields +20000 on DraftKings | +10000 | +4000 |
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.
Voting for last year’s award was close, with Flacco edging out Damar Hamlin. Baker Mayfield finished in a distant third place. Current odds point to Chubb as having the best chance to end the QB stranglehold on the award, followed by Tank Dell and J.K. Dobbins.
NFL Comeback Player of the Year FAQ
The NFL Comeback Player of the Year award is voted on by a panel of media personnel. Voters rank three selections in order, and the choices receive points on a sliding scale of 5-3-1. The nominee with the most total points wins the award.
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.