If Sam Darnold revives his career, it may go without award recognition
Sam Darnold's chances of winning the Comeback Player of the Year this season just took a huge hit as the Associated Press has clarified the guidelines for what constitutes a comeback-worthy season.
“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,” says AP senior NFL writer Rob Maaddi.
Starting this season, players who were backups the season prior may not be considered worthy of a "comeback" status. Questions about the guidelines for the award arose each of the past two years after Geno Smith and Joe Flacco won it after being backups the season prior.
The new ruling could particularily impact Darnold, who is expected to start at quarterback for the Vikings alongside a cast of teammates that give him the best opportunity of his career to live up to the hype of being selected third overall in the 2018 NFL draft.
Does getting traded from Carolina to San Francisco and then backing up Brock Purdy qualify as "other circumstances" that led to Darnold not playing much last season? If if doesn't, then Darnold's previous odds of 30-to-1 to win the award can probably be thrown out the window.
JONATHAN HARRISON