# AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year

The AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year (CBPOY) award is presented annually by the Associated Press (AP) to a player in the National Football League (NFL). While the criteria for the award is imprecise, it is typically given to a player who overcomes the worst adversity to return to play even a single snap of NFL football, such as not playing the previous season, injury, or for playing well in comparison to the previous year's poor performance. The winner is selected by a nationwide panel of media personnel. Since 2011, the award has been presented at the NFL Honors ceremony held the day before the Super Bowl. Beginning with the 2024 season, the criteria for the award was changed to emphasize players coming back from "illness, physical injury, or other circumstances that led him to miss playing time the previous season", as opposed to players having resurgent performances or "coming back from sucking".
The AP first recognized an NFL comeback player of the year from 1963 to 1966, but these players are typically not included in overall lists of winners. The AP did not give the award again until the 1998 season. Only two players have received the award more than once since the AFL–NFL merger: quarterbacks Chad Pennington, who received it in 2006 and 2008 as a member of the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins, respectively, and Joe Burrow, who won it in 2021 and 2024.

## Winners

| Season | Player | Position | Team |
| 1963 | Jim Martin | Placekicker | Baltimore Colts |
| 1964 | Lenny Moore | Halfback | Baltimore Colts |
| 1965 | John Brodie | Quarterback | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1966 | Dick Bass | Fullback | Los Angeles Rams |
| No award given between 1967 and 1997 |||||
| 1998 | Doug Flutie | Quarterback | Buffalo Bills |
| 1999 | Bryant Young | Defensive tackle | San Francisco 49ers |
| 2000 | Joe Johnson | Defensive end | New Orleans Saints |
| 2001 | Garrison Hearst | Running back | San Francisco 49ers |
| 2002 | Tommy Maddox | Quarterback | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 2003 | Jon Kitna | Quarterback | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 2004 | Drew Brees | Quarterback | San Diego Chargers |
| 2005 | Steve Smith Tedy Bruschi | Wide receiver Linebacker | Carolina Panthers New England Patriots |
| 2006 | Chad Pennington | Quarterback | New York Jets |
| 2007 | Greg Ellis | Defensive end | Dallas Cowboys |
| 2008 | Chad Pennington (2) | Quarterback | Miami Dolphins |
| 2009 | Tom Brady | Quarterback | New England Patriots |
| 2010 | Michael Vick | Quarterback | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 2011 | Matthew Stafford | Quarterback | Detroit Lions |
| 2012 | Peyton Manning | Quarterback | Denver Broncos |
| 2013 | Philip Rivers | Quarterback | San Diego Chargers |
| 2014 | Rob Gronkowski | Tight end | New England Patriots |
| 2015 | Eric Berry | Safety | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 2016 | Jordy Nelson | Wide receiver | Green Bay Packers |
| 2017 | Keenan Allen | Wide receiver | Los Angeles Chargers |
| 2018 | Andrew Luck | Quarterback | Indianapolis Colts |
| 2019 | Ryan Tannehill | Quarterback | Tennessee Titans |
| 2020 | Alex Smith | Quarterback | Washington Football Team |
| 2021 | Joe Burrow | Quarterback | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 2022 | Geno Smith | Quarterback | Seattle Seahawks |
| 2023 | Joe Flacco | Quarterback | Cleveland Browns |
| 2024 | Joe Burrow (2) | Quarterback | Cincinnati Bengals |