The NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year Award usually gets a nod of approval for a wholesome story or an improbable feat. This year, it has fans shaking their heads like a bad penalty flag. Cincinnati Bengals star Joe Burrow walked away with the trophy, but a loud corner of the internet is calling foul, claiming Sam Darnold deserved the honor.
To them, Burrow winning feels less like a true comeback and more like a “big name” bonus.
Joe Burrow Wins Comeback Player of the Year, But Fans Say Sam Darnold Was Robbed
The Bengals QB just secured his second CPOY award, but social media is calling foul — specifically for Sam Darnold. “Sam Darnold was robbed” became the rallying cry, with fans arguing Burrow didn’t “come back” from anything serious.
“Didn’t even make the playoffs lol. This award will never make any damn sense,” one user posted.
Burrow went down in 2023 (wrist injury, Week 11), came back in 2024, and lit up the stat sheet with 4,918 yards, 43 TDs, and 70.6% completion. But the Bengals? They went 9-8 and missed the playoffs. So what was the “comeback” part again? One fan pointed out, “What did Burrow come back from? Missing the playoffs two years in a row?”
Clearly, that wrist injury meant more to the voters than it did to Burrow’s critics.
Meanwhile, Darnold turned his career around in Minnesota. After a stint as a backup on the San Francisco 49ers, he took over for injured rookie J.J. McCarthy and led the Vikings to a 14-3 record.
SAM DARNOLD ROBBED
— JetsGotNext ✈️🗽🏈 (@JetsGotNextV2) February 7, 2025
“No respect for a guy who came back and led a team to 14 wins after having his career buttfumbled by Adam Gase?” one fan asked.
Another said, “Shouldn’t be considered a comeback if you didn’t defy death and become a starter,” defending Damar Hamlin.
Other finalists included J.K. Dobbins (Achilles tear), Christian Gonzalez (shoulder surgery), and Hamlin (cardiac arrest comeback), but Burrow took home the trophy. Fair or not, the debate isn’t dying down. Darnold’s resurgence deserved some love, and he found it in the form of a Pro Bowl appearance.
Ultimately, the award can be seen as consolation for an incredible season. By PFN’s QB+ metric, Burrow and Darnold finished fifth and 12th, respectively.
Joe Burrow’s Game Plan: Bold Strategy or Old Playbook?
Burrow handed out some free advice on how the Philadelphia Eagles could stop the Kansas City Chiefs.
According to Burrow, if you’re facing a top-tier QB, you better come out swinging. “You gotta be aggressive,” he said on “First Take.” “You can’t just sit back and protect the ball — you have to attack.” Sounds great in theory, right?
However, the Chiefs may not be headed for a shootout. Their offense hasn’t been as explosive as it has in recent years, and Saquon Barkley is bound to limit Kansas City’s possessions.
And let’s not forget when Burrow actually beat the Chiefs in 2021, it wasn’t an all-time shootout. It was a 27-24 grinder where his squad played it safe, let the defense go to work, and capitalized on mistakes.
Does the “attack mode” blueprint still work? Maybe. But Philadelphia can’t afford to be wrong. That’s how you end up watching the confetti fall for somebody else, much like Burrow did in 2021.