Comeback Player of the Year
Top 5 contenders:
- Andrew Luck (QB, Indianapolis)
- Demarco Murray (RB, Tennessee)
- Michael Crabtree (WR, Oakland)
- Terrelle Pryor (WR, Cleveland)
- Jordy Nelson (WR, Green Bay)
A year makes a big difference in this award category. Eric Berry was the runaway favorite in 2015, now there isn’t a single defender in contention. Andrew Luck missed half of last season with various ailment but is now carrying his seemingly depleted team to victories. Murray looked dead in the water in Philadelphia and has regained his old form, ranking 2nd in the NFL in rushing. Crabtree has become a productive target in Oakland. Pryor reinvented himself as a receiver in Cleveland and it’s paying off. Nelson has steadily recovered from his torn ACL last year.
Winner: Andrew Luck
It’s a tough competition but what Luck is doing shouldn’t be possible. Normally it wouldn’t be but that is just how elite he is. Little pass protection? Minimal help from the defense? None of it seems to matter. The Indianapolis Colts keep finding ways to win and it’s often because he’s pulling them out of the fire late in games. If that team somehow finds a way to win the division, Comeback Player of the Year won’t be a good enough award for what Luck has done.