Damar Hamlin snubbed of ‘Comeback Player of the Year’ award despite getting more 1st place votes than Joe Flacco

Joe Flacco threw for 1,616 yards along with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions in the five games that he played.

Damar Hamlin snubbed of ‘Comeback Player of the Year’ award despite getting more 1st place votes than Joe Flacco

Joe Flacco and Damar Hamlin (Via Baltimore Sun/NBC News)

The NFL Honors took place last Thursday, and the result that shocked the most was ‘Comeback Player of the Year.’ Instead of Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin, who was the favorite to win, the award was honored to Cleveland Brown quarterback Joe Flacco, who was unsigned through late November. 

After suffering a cardiac arrest episode in the middle of the game late in the 2022 season, Hamlin made a startling comeback this season. He was also voted the favorite (21) to win the renowned award, while Flacco had 14 votes. 

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However, the criteria decided by the NFL was total points made, where Hamlin finished behind at 140 after missing out on eight of the 50 ballots, and Flacco had 151 points. 

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Many voters didn’t even consider Hamlin on their ballots, as the safety only played 17 defensive snaps and 94 on special teams across the five games. But interestingly, in an interview, Flacco admitted he would vote for Hamlin, as he wasn’t sure about his comeback. 

Shortly after that, he was signed by the Browns in November. He went ahead with a 4-1 starter, leading the team straight to the postseason while throwing for 1,616 yards along with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

The third place for the award was the Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield with 10 votes and 93 points, while Rams QB Matthew Stafford acquired fourth place with one vote and 30 points. 

Joe Flacco’s journey from inactivity to the practice squad

Though Hamlin won the Professional Football Writers of America’s version of the award, the Browns’ QB did have a legitimate claim over the award.

Browns QB Damar Hamlin
Browns QB Damar Hamlin (Via CNN)

The former Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl MVP remained inactive for around ten months before being signed by Cleveland. 

Even then, Flacco was first added to the practice squad and didn’t get promoted to the active roster until December. After getting the opportunity, the 38-year-old was sure not to take it for granted. 

He started five regular-season games and won four of them, leading his team to the playoffs. In these games, he completed 123 passes for 1,616 yards, along with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. On top of that, the quarterback recorded four consecutive 300-yard games in the final four weeks of the 2023 regular season. 

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