After Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco won the 2023 NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award over Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin, the voting criteria have been clarified by the Associated Press.
The AP has emphasized that the winner should be a player who overcame injury or illness.
In Flacco’s case, that did not happen. Rather, the quarterback led the Cleveland Browns to the playoffs after a poor stint with the New York Jets, and he won the honor.
Flacco’s win was a shock as the expected winner was Hamlin. He did not bring it home despite returning to the NFL after his on-field cardiac arrest late in the 2022 season.
The AP released this statement on the matter:
The AP is asking voters to consider the following when voting for Comeback Player of the Year starting this upcoming season:
"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… pic.twitter.com/roJTtFpPFL
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) June 18, 2024
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