Joe Burrow‘s aerial display in 2024 was second to none, but what he faced prior to producing a career-best statistical season made it all that more impressive.
The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback worked through a wrist injury which prematurely ended his 2023 season and required surgery. That rehabilitated wrist supported a right arm and hand which generated 4,918 passing yards and 43 passing touchdowns, numbers that led the NFL this past season.
On Thursday night at NFL Honors in New Orleans, Burrow was recognized for his rebounding effort by earning the 2024 AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year award.
Burrow received 31 first-place votes and 370 points, followed by the rest of the finalists in order of placement: Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins (195 points), Vikings QB Sam Darnold (102), Bills safety Damar Hamlin (86) and Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (69).
In addition to his league-leading numbers in passing yards and TDs in 2024, Burrow finished with the NFL’s third-best passer rating (108.5) and ranked fourth in completion percentage (70.6). According to NFL Research, he became the third QB in NFL history to have at least 4,500 passing yards and 40 passing TDs while throwing fewer than 10 interceptions, joining Tom Brady (2007) and Aaron Rodgers (2011), who were both rewarded with the AP Most Valuable Player award in those respective seasons.
Burrow was also a finalist for the AP’s MVP and Offensive Player of the Year awards in 2024.
While the Bengals ultimately fell just short of a postseason return, Burrow’s performance through the air nearly got them there.
From Weeks 9-17, Burrow set an NFL record with eight straight games with 250-plus passing yards and three-plus passing TDs, breaking a record once held by Brady (six; 2007). Cincinnati went 6-3 during that stretch, including a five-game win streak to end the season, but its 1-4 start in 2024 proved too much to overcome.
Only Dan Marino had more passing TDs (44) for a team that missed the playoffs in NFL history, per NFL Research.
Burrow, who broke his own single-season franchise records in passing yards and TDs in 2024, also fostered Ja’Marr Chase‘s incredible campaign along the way. The Bengals’ star wideout caught 127 passes for 1,708 yards and 17 TDs, achieving the receiving triple crown while also setting the franchise’s single-season marks in receiving yards and TDs, and tied Carl Pickens for the Bengals’ record in receiving TDs in one season.
Burrow, who earned his second Pro Bowl trip in 2024, collected his second Comeback Player of the Year award following another season that began with plenty of questions. He joins Chad Pennington (2006, 2008) as the only players to win the award twice. The 28-year-old earned the honor in 2021 after successfully coming back from a torn ACL that ended his rookie season in the NFL. Burrow led the Bengals to the franchise’s third Super Bowl appearance in that same effort.
