Votes for Sam Darnold will count in Comeback Player of the Year race

Darnold is currently the second favorite to win the award

Dec 29, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) warms up before the game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Comeback Player of the Year ballots with Sam Darnold's name on them will not be rejected, according to Pro Football Talk.

Darnold's eligibility had been in doubt after a preseason change in guidance from the AP stated, "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."

The AP's Senior NFL Writer Rob Maadi further cast doubt in October, tweeting that under previous guidelines, Darnold probably would have been a candidate but under the revised guidance, he was not.

#Vikings QB Sam Darnold probably would’ve been a candidate for the Comeback Player of the Year award before the AP issued guidance to voters before the season, instructing them that “the spirit of the award is to honor a player who has demonstrated resilience in the face of…

— Rob Maaddi (@RobMaaddi) October 11, 2024

Darnold has had a career year in Minnesota, throwing for 4,153 yards, 35 touchdowns and completing 68.1% of his passes, all career-highs for the quarterback. He currently has the second-best odds to win the award via most sports books. The only player with better odds is Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.

Under Darnold, the Vikings are one win away from clinching the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Minnesota could do that with a win in Sunday's regular season finale in Detroit. Cincinnati needs to win Sunday and get some help (Broncos loss and Dolphins loss or tie) just to get into the playoffs.

The winner of the award will be announced at the NFL Honors on Feb. 6 in New Orleans. The last six winners of the award have been quarterbacks. The Minnesota Vikings have never had a player win the award.