This is an award Rodgers can probably capture quite easily for the New York Jets
Aaron Rodgers racked up no shortage of awards and honors before joining the New York Jets. His four MVP awards rank second in NFL history, trailing only Peyton Manning’s five. It’s difficult to bet against him when it comes to any hardware.
This year, there’s one award for which it would be particularly foolish to bet against Rodgers: the Comeback Player of the Year award.
Accordingly, Rodgers is the betting favorite to take home the gold at +100. Joe Burrow isn’t too far behind at +200 after Burrow tore a ligament in his wrist in November. Still, a midseason injury doesn’t hold a candle to a torn Achilles four plays into the season. Even if Burrow outplays Rodgers in 2024, Rodgers’ age and gruesome injury make him more likely to take the prize. It’s worth noting, though, that Burrow has already won the award once, doing so in 2021 after tearing his ACL in 2020.
After Rodgers and Burrow, other candidates include Kirk Cousins (+500), Anthony Richardson (+750), Russell Wilson (+1200), and Deshaun Watson (+1500). Nick Chubb is the first non-quarterback on the list at +2000.
The Comeback Player of the Year (CPOY) is perhaps the most nebulous NFL award handed out each season. The criteria are ill-defined (if at all), but the general consensus seems to be to give it to a player coming off injury. Still, Joe Flacco won the award in 2023 after a resurgent second half of the season with Cleveland, and Geno Smith won it the year prior without having sustained injury.
The only New York Jets player ever to win the CPOY was quarterback Chad Pennington in 2006. Pennington tore his labrum in 2005, and the Jets went 4-12. He returned the following season to lead the Jets to a 10-6 record and a playoff berth. Two years later, Pennington won the award again with the Miami Dolphins after bringing them to the playoffs with an 11-5 record.
Rodgers has a good chance to join Pennington in the annals of Jets history. The biggest question, and the key to the Jets’ entire season, is whether he can stay healthy.
Jets fans, do you think Rodgers brings home the Comeback Player of the Year?
