Burrow Wins Second Comeback Player of the Year Award

NEW ORLEANS _ Joe Burrow threw the final strike of his record-breaking season here Thursday night when he became the first player in history to win the Associated Press NFL Comeback Player of the Year for the second time with the same team. Burrow emerged from 2023 wrist surgery to lead the league in touchdown passes and passing yards and then accepted the award at the nationally televised NFL Honors ceremony in the Saenger Theatre. That’s a Burrow go route to away from where they completed LSU‘s undefeated national championship season at the Caesar’s Superdome five years ago.

“Obviously, a success,” said Matt Summers, the club’s director of sports medicine and head athletic trainer, of Burrow’s road back. “There’s no question that if anyone is going to come back from something that you don’t see very often in this game, it’s going to be Joe Burrow based off his work ethic and how he attacks every day. He’s got that instinct about him that he’s going to win the day.”

It also marked the second NFL Comeback award for Nick Cosgray, the Bengals director of rehab and performance who helped guide Burrow through his recovery from ACL surgery in 2020 as he returned the next season to win the award and lead the Bengals to the Super Bowl. Summers and Cosgray and a cadre of trainers worked in conjunction with the staff of head strength and conditioning coach, as well as a nutritionist, and others. If it takes a village, Burrow had Paycor Stadium. But he drove it all.

“He attacks it like he does everything related to football,” Cosgray says. “The great part about Joe is once he’s got all the information and understands you’ve got his best interests at heart, he’ll put all his trust in you and do everything you ask him to do and more than you ask him to do.”

CINCINNATI — After a devastating wrist injury cut Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s 2023 season short, he was officially honored Thursday for his return to Pro Bowl form. Burrow was named the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year on Thursday at the annual NFL Honors show ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl in New Orleans. Burrow, 28, won the award over Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, Los Angeles Chargers running back JK Dobbins and New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez. With the win, Burrow became just the second NFL player in history to win AP Comeback Player of the Year twice, joining Chad Pennington. He is the first player to win the award twice with the same team. Despite a disappointing campaign for the Bengals, in which they missed the playoffs for the second straight season, Burrow had arguably the best regular season performance of his career in 2024.

Burrow’s 4,918 yards and 43 passing touchdowns both led the NFL, while his 74.7 quarterback rating, or QBR, was third-best in the NFL. Burrow’s performance came on the heels of a torn ligament in his wrist that ended his 2023 season after only 10 games. The Bengals’ star quarterback was named to the Pro Bowl for the second time in his career, joining wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and defensive end Trey Hendrickson. Burrow’s season got off to a bit of a sour start, with an underwhelming performance that contributed to a Week 1 loss to the New England Patriots. From that point forward, though, the former Heisman Trophy winner was exceptional in his return to the field. Burrow had 10 games this season with at least three touchdown passes, including two games in which he tossed five touchdowns – Oct. 6 against the Baltimore Ravens and Nov. 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders. With the help of an All-Pro season by Chase, Burrow threw for at least 300 yards in seven games, with a season-high 428 yards in a November loss to the Ravens. Burrow was also named as a finalist for the MVP and Offensive Player of the Year awards. The win marks the second time Burrow has won the AP Comeback Player of the Year award. He previously won it during the 2021 season after leading the Bengals to an AFC North division title one year after a knee injury that cut his rookie season short.