COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR ODDS

BY ADAM GREENE

Here’s a look at the Top 4 odds-on favorites for the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year Award

DAMAR HAMLIN, BUFFALO BILLS (-400)

It’s rare to see a futures bet, especially in the NFL, with this much minus money, but that’s pretty much where we are with Damar Hamlin’s chances to claim this award at the end of the season. In case you missed it, and it made world news, so I’m kind of shocked you’re reading an NFL betting article hosted on an NFL betting site if you have no clue why Hamlin’s odds are so much better than everyone else on the list.

During the Buffalo Bills game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2, Hamlin went down after what looked like a pretty routine play, only to suffer a cardiac arrest on the field, requiring lifesaving CPR. Now, the great thing is the Bills and Bengals staff, as well as the medical crew at the Cincinnati Medical Center, is that Hamlin made it. He’s fine and made a complete recovery, even taking the field in Buffalo’s preseason games. So, as long as he plays a complete season, he’s got this.

What’s the risk in betting this, then? Well, you have to pile in a bunch of money to make it worth anything to do. The simple math is, betting $400 will win you $100, but you’re still taking a big risk. Football is a dangerous sport and there’s a chance Hamlin could suffer a regular football injury, nothing related to his near-death experience a year ago, and still miss so much time he can’t really qualify for this. Meanwhile, you’ve tossed four bills at it and they’re gone.

JOHN METCHIE, HOUSTON TEXANS (+1000)

In any normal season, Metchie would already have this award sewn up. Unlike Hamlin, who is primarily a reserve and special teams player, Metchie will probably start for the Texans and was a highly touted pick out of Alabama before he was diagnosed with leukemia prior to the 2022-23 season. Metchie’s cancer is apparently in full remission and he’s ready to go.

With CJ Stroud in Houston, he could very well turn into their go-to receiver before the year is up. He’ll certainly play a lot. And, if something does happen to Hamlin and Metchie is able to stay on the field, he’s got this.

RUSSELL WILSON, DENVER BRONCOS (+1200)

If Metchie got hosed by fate in the race for this particular award, Wilson got the double dose. In any normal year, the Comeback Player of the Year award goes to a guy who sucked the year (or years) previous or was hurt with a conventional NFL injury. That’s why the guy that replaced Wilson with the Seattle Seahawks, Geno Smith, took it home a season ago. Wilson absolutely blew it last year and a bounce back campaign would usually do it. But not with Metchie and Hamlin in the mix.

SAM DARNOLD, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (+12000)

Darnold is in a similar boat as Geno Smith a year ago. Expectations are low, but I think he’ll probably end up starting for the 49ers before the year is up. If he does, leads them to a one or two seed in the NFC and an NFC West title, then he would normally be a shoe-in here. But, again, not with Metchie and Hamlin in the way.

I’m sure Darnold, if he resurrects his career on a loaded Niners squad, will find someway to overcome this particular piece of bad news.

Follow Adam Greene on Twitter @TheFirstMan.

Connect with us our socials on Twitter and Instagram for the latest sports news, viral moments, betting odds and the occasional memes.