Nothing beats a good comeback story, and every year one NFLer rises above the rest as the league's Comeback Player of the Year.
Nothing beats a good comeback story, and every year one NFLer rises above the rest as the league's Comeback Player of the Year.
The latest: The field has thinned considerably, with only five players left on the board. But the race is much tighter than it was three weeks ago, as former frontrunner Geno Smith has plateaued and others have made up the stagger.
Here are the latest NFL Comeback Player of the Year odds.
Check out the latest odds to win NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Click linked odds to add selection to your betslip.
| Player | Odds (Dec. 28) | Odds (Dec. 8) |
| Saquon Barkley | +150 | +375 |
| Geno Smith | +200 | -670 |
| Christian McCaffrey | +225 | +5,000 |
| Jared Goff | +800 | N/A |
| Derrick Henry | +8,000 | +5,000 |
Odds as of 1:30 p.m. on 12/28/2022.
The favourite: Saquon Barkley (+150)
Barkley has been the favourite for several stretches throughout the year, but he's only recently back in the top spot thanks to the collapse of Smith and the Seahawks — along with some stellar play in his own right.
The heavily-used tailback has looked more like his early-season self in the past two weeks, averaging 125.5 scrimmage yards and scoring twice.
With just under 1,600 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns on the season, Barkley recently earned his first Pro Bowl spot since he went as a rookie in 2018.
Injuries have kept him from returning to his rookie-year dominance, but this year's clean bill of health has changed things.
.@saquon put the moves on 'em!
— NFL (@NFL) October 23, 2022
📺: #NYGvsJAX on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/WfxxCNrfTZ pic.twitter.com/eomKDrHCdW
If the Giants hold onto a playoff spot, Barkley will presumably be at the centre of that. And in such a case, he'll be difficult to defeat on this futures market.
Best value: Jared Goff (+800)
Goff hasn't been on this leaderboard during any prior update of this market throughout the season, but now he's got as much value as anyone.
Somewhat quietly, Goff has put together an excellent season, with more TD passes (26) and a better passer rating (98.3) than any of his three previous campaigns.
The past four CPOY winners have been quarterbacks, which could theoretically give him a leg up on some of his non-QB competition. And his narrative is very similar to that of Geno Smith, as a perceived bridge quarterback on a bad team.
Both the Seahawks and Lions are just outside the playoff picture. If Detroit gets in and Seattle doesn't, that might be all it takes for Goff to go from an 8-to-1 outsider to the CPOY winner.
Player to watch: Christian McCaffrey (+225)
Like Barkley, McCaffrey is a formerly injury-plagued running back who's stayed healthy this year. And his presence on a 49ers team that's on its third-string QB has been incalculable.
McCaffrey, who was traded midseason from the Panthers, has eight touchdowns and 938 scrimmage yards in nine games with his new team. He even mixed in a 34-yard TD pass to boot.
CMC IS THROWING DIMES. @CMC_22
— NFL (@NFL) October 30, 2022
📺: #SFvsLAR on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/cSiNcKjZJe pic.twitter.com/fr9szOjDsf
He's a safety valve for 7th-round rookie Brock Purdy, but he's more than that, too. With gaudy enough numbers over his final two games, McCaffrey could certainly make a case.