Damar Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills safety who made his miraculous return to the gridiron this year after suffering a terrifying cardiac arrest on the field in 2023, is the current odds-on favorite to win the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award … but should he be?
Hamlin’s odds of taking home the award currently sit at -165 on FanDuel, by far leading the field. Current runner-up Joe Flacco, who, after the Cleveland Browns signed him off the couch has led them to four straight wins and a playoff berth.
Flacco’s odds currently sit at +125, a massive leap from last week when his odds were +400, according to Sports Illustrated.
All due respect to Hamlin, whose mere presence on the field should be an inspiration to us all, this year as a player he’s been little more than a mere special teams contributor. Flacco, on the other hand, has been a revelation.
This tweet from YouTuber Just Max Productions highlights just how ridiculous Hamlin’s case for Comeback Player of the Year really is.
It’s a tough race here folks, they both make good cases
Joe Flacco – sucked last year, doesn’t suck this year
Damar Hamlin – died, is not currently dead https://t.co/feHWNnmKk9
— just max productions (Hou Chronicle contributor) (@jmproductionsyt) December 29, 2023
Max satirically makes a case for both players. “Joe Flacco — sucked last year, doesn’t suck this year. Damar Hamlin — died, is not currently dead,” he tweeted. (RELATED: NFL Suspends ‘Monday Night Football’ Mid-Game, Players In Tears After Defensive Back Suffers Cardiac Arrest)
While obviously somewhat in jest, Max makes a point. Flacco did suck last year for the Jets, but this year he’s been absolutely spectacular.
After the Browns brought in Flacco to replace injured quarterback Deshaun Watson, Flacco put up a solid performance in a loss to the Rams. Then, the Super Bowl MVP did something nobody thought possible. He rattled off four straight wins en route to securing the Browns a playoff berth, their first since 2020 and only their third in this millennium.
Flacco, who I and many others had written off as a backup at best and likely done in the NFL, is averaging over 323 yards per game in his five contests. For comparison, the Miami Dolphins offense, the most explosive and productive passing attack in the league right now, is averaging a tick over 273 passing yards per game, per Teamrankings.com. Flacco has been nothing short of prolific.
Hamlin, meanwhile, has been held out of all but five of the Buffalo Bills’ games this year, with the team often listing him as a healthy scratch. The resilient safety has only managed to record two tackles on the season.
Obviously, Hamlin’s stats are secondary to the obstacles he’s overcome. His tenacity to fight through such a catastrophic health event and find his way back to the sport he loves is nothing short of miraculous. Truly, I give him all the flowers in the world. But if the NFL is still going to consider itself a meritocracy, it’s got to give the awards to people who deserve them.
Flacco’s comeback has been more than noteworthy, it’s been flat-out epic. Just ask a Browns fan.