After a year spent fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kansas City Chiefs will return a former starter from Super Bowl LIV during the 2021 NFL season.
Last season, Dr. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif worked at a long-term care facility near his hometown in Quebec, Canada. He occupied a number of different roles and filled in where he was needed in one of the hardest-hit areas of care. Now, Duvernay-Tardif is back with the Chiefs after opting out of the 2020 NFL season. Some even believe that he’ll make a strong case to earn an annual NFL award, recognizing his perseverance in overcoming adversity.
BetMGM’s Sportsbook lists the former starting right guard with the sixth-best odds to take home the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award for 2021, with +1600 odds. Those listed ahead of Duvernay-Tardif are as follows:
- Cowboys QB Dak Prescott (+180)
- Giants RB Saquon Barkley (+500)
- Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey (+600)
- Bengals QB Joe Burrow, 49ers DE Nick Bosa and Colts QB Carson Wentz (+800)
- Julio Jones (+1200)
Frankly, it’d take a lot for Duvernay-Tardif to come away with the Comeback Player of the Year award in 2021. He is at a significant disadvantage by not playing what is considered a “skill” position. The fact that he won’t be scoring any points and isn’t constantly in the limelight will be problematic.
Duvernay-Tardif also isn’t guaranteed a starting job in Kansas City, while all the other players listed ahead of him are secure in their jobs. That said, Duvernay-Tardif is highly motivated to prove himself and earn a starting role after spending a year away from the team.
“The last time I put a helmet on before today was at the Super Bowl in Miami and we won it,” said Duvernay-Tardif, following mandatory minicamp practices. “So there are great memories from playing football with these guys and I want to build that chemistry back and hopefully get a starting job in order to contribute to the team this year.”
The odds appear to be stacked against Duvernay-Tardif here, but stranger things have happened in the world of football. If he can earn a starting job during training camp, he’ll have already persevered when faced with significant adversity.
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