Dak Prescott has heavy competition for Comeback Player of the Year with Bengals QB Joe Burrow

By the middle of the season it seemed like a foregone conclusion. Dak Prescott was going to win Comeback Player of the Year. When the Dallas Cowboys got off to a hot start, it seemed like the only reason Dak may not win the award was that he was going to win the league’s Most Valuable Player award which would have opened the door to share the wealth. Generally speaking, players don’t win multiple awards at a season’s end.

If that had been the case it stood to reason at the time that someone like Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow might take home CPOTY given that he returned this season from a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee. Burrow had a great season on the whole and helped lead his team to a division title so it certainly seems like he has a very strong case.

Will Dak Prescott or Joe Burrow win Comeback Player of the Year?

A lot of what goes into these awards is narrative. Comeback Player of the Year is often the most loose award within that as the exact qualifications for what constitutes a “comeback” have been debated over the years. But it is obviously no question that both Prescott and Burrow returned this season after suffering major injuries in 2020.

Looking at the two performances this season they measure up against each very equally. Factoring in narrative again, it is worth mentioning that Prescott happens to be the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys which carries with it an inherent advantage for this sort of thing.

Of course, while Prescott compares favorably to Burrow the former wasn’t as statistically successful over the second half of the season. Sure Dak had some great performances at the end against Washington and Philadelphia, but he also authored a loss against the Arizona Cardinals that was a big moment for the Cowboys where they came up short.

Burrow, on the other hand, ascended as the regular season came to a close. Remembering that these awards are voted on when the regular season ends, it is worth noting that Burrow had a historic two-game stretch between Weeks 16 and 17 where he helped clinch the AFC North for Cincinnati.

Being the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys does make you more visible than most, but Joe Burrow is hardly an anonymous face. 2021 was his first full season in the NFL and he played very well, finishing with authority.

Dak Prescott may very well wind up winning CPOTY, but the fact that this “race” is as close as it is shows how much he faltered over the second half of the season. This should have been a runaway victory for him yet here we are.

We discussed the merits of both Prescott and Burrow regarding Comeback Player of the Year during the latest video on the Blogging The Boys YouTube Channel. Make sure to subscribe to our channel (which you can do right here) so you don’t miss any of our videos.