Joe Flacco won the award for getting signed off the couch in 2023
There was almost nothing normal about the Cleveland Browns season in 2023. QB Joe Flacco being signed off the couch after Deshaun Watson got hurt only to take over the team when Dorian Thompson-Robinson and PJ Walker proved ineffective (and the rookie got hurt) was the epitome of the weird that was the Browns season.
Flacco’s return to the field, after playing poorly the previous four seasons, and not the great the four prior to that, earned him the Associated Press’ Comeback Player of the Year award. Most believed that Damar Hamlin would win the award for simply returning to the game after his cardiac arrest on the field in 2022.
Hamlin did receive more first-place votes but Flacco had more overall points despite playing in just five games.
Oftentimes, an athlete will have success and then experience something tragic such as an injury, poor performance, or maybe circumstances that eliminate one season of play. And when he returned to the playing field, he was once again outstanding to win the award.
Going into 2024, the AP is changing the criteria given to media members voting for the award:
Here’s the criteria we’ll ask voters to consider starting this season for the AP Comeback Player of the Year award:
The spirit of the AP Comeback Player of the Year award is to honor a player who has demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity by overcoming illness, physical…— Rob Maaddi (@RobMaaddi) June 18, 2024
The new criteria make it clear that a player must be coming back from something more than just poor play. The 2022 and 2023 winners, QB Geno Smith and Flacco would be unlikely to qualify for the award given the new criteria. Neither dealt with illness or injury, or the ilk, to miss time the season prior.
What do you think about the AP changing the criteria, seemingly, due to Flacco winning last year?
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