Sam Darnold’s NFL redemption case with Vikings clouded over Comeback Award eligibility

Sam Darnold currently stands as one of the frontrunners to be named the 2024 NFL Comeback Player of the Year, but it remains to be seen if the Vikings quarterback meets AP’s requirements

Sam Darnold’s late-career resurgence has placed him firmly in the discussion to be named the 2024 NFL Comeback Player of the Year (CPOTY) – but whether the Minnesota Vikings quarterback is even eligible to receive the award remains to be seen.

Entering a pivotal Week 18 game between the Vikings and Detroit Lions – the winner of which will be awarded the No. 1 seed in the NFC – Darnold has completed 343-of-504 passes for 4,153 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. While the dominant performance isn’t quite enough to place him in the MVP conversation amongst star signal-callers like Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen, Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, and Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow, it has propelled him into the running for another accolade.

As of writing, Darnold boasts the second-highest odds to win the NFL CPOTY award on DraftKings, Fanduel, and BetMGM – trailing only Burrow, who leads the league in passing yards (4,641), passing touchdowns (42), completions (423) and passing yards per game (290.1) through 17 weeks of play.

Despite being one of the frontrunners to be named CPOTY, it’s unclear if Darnold meets the requirements for the award. Last October, the Associated Press reaffirmed the true meaning of the accolade, informing voters: “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 illness, physical injury or other circumstances that led him to miss playing time the previous season.”

Going off this guidance, AP Senior NFL Writer Rob Maaddi speculated that Darnold is not eligible to be CPOTY. Yet Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio argued otherwise, insisting that the seven-year veteran falls under the category of “other circumstances” given the tumultuous start to his NFL career.

After being selected by the New York Jets with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Darnold struggled to find his footing in the Big Apple while routinely being surrounded by lackluster supporting casts. He was eventually dealt to the Panthers in April of 2021 but was hampered by poor offensive line play and injuries while in Carolina.

In March of 2023, Darnold signed a one-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers to serve as backup behind Brock Purdy before joining the Vikings this past offseason. According to Florio – who holds a CPOTY vote – his rollercoaster journey makes the quarterback more than deserving of the award.

“Darnold didn’t play in 2023 with the 49ers due to the fact that he was regarded as not good enough to start, based on his time with the Jets and Panthers,” Florio wrote last December. “If that’s not ‘other circumstances,’ what is?”

Though AP has shot down ineligible votes for CPOTY in past seasons, Florio reported that the publication won’t reject ballots that award Darnold the accolade.