A prominent figure associated with the Cleveland Browns supports Joe Flacco being awarded Comeback Player of the Year.
Flacco remained without a team as a free agent until early November, when the Cleveland Browns lost their starting quarterback, Deshaun Watson, to a season-ending shoulder injury. The former Super Bowl XLVII Most Valuable Player then showcased a resurgence by winning four out of five starts, leading the Browns to a playoff spot with an 11-6 record. During his brief tenure in Cleveland, the 39-year-old completed 123 of 204 regular-season passes (60.3%) for 1,616 yards, throwing 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
According to ESPN statistics, if Flacco had played the entire regular season among eligible players, he would have topped the NFL with an average of 323.2 passing yards per game.
In contrast, Hamlin’s performance for the 2023 Bills, with five regular-season and two playoff appearances, yielded less impressive numbers. Despite this, he was widely expected to win Comeback Player of the Year after making a remarkable return to the active roster less than eight months after suffering cardiac arrest during a “Monday Night Football” game in January 2023.
The Pro Football Writers of America awarded Hamlin the Comeback Player of the Year title. However, in the Associated Press voting, Flacco garnered 13 first-place votes and 151 total points, while Hamlin received 21 first-place votes and 140 total points. Interestingly, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa secured the Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year accolade, having contemplated retirement in the previous offseason due to concerns stemming from multiple concussions suffered in 2022.
In summary, Hamlin’s victory for CPOTY wasn’t as clear-cut as many had anticipated as recently as early January.
