There was a time when Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin looked like a virtual lock to win the 2023 NFL Comeback Player of the Year award. That did not turn out to be the case, as Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco ultimately got the honor on Thursday, sparking all sorts of reactions from fans and football observers on the internet.
“Ranked vote system hurt Damar Hamlin for Comeback Player of the Year. He's either the clear 1st place guy or he's nowhere on a ballot. Voting him 2nd makes no sense,” said Sam Monson of PFF.
Damar Hamlin hearing Joe Flacco’s name pic.twitter.com/yDa17OOWuU
— Jake Malasek (@jakemalasek) February 9, 2024
“Damar Hamlin deserved to be the Comeback Player of The Year, HE DIED ON A #NFL FIELD AND CAME BACK AND PLAYED FOOTBALL. The official definition for the award states it is a perseverance award, not performance. Joe Flacco said even he would vote for Hamlin: ‘I'm just coming back from being old and not being on a team for a couple months,'” shared @_MLFootball.
“Someone in Buffalo just lost their home because Joe Flacco won comeback player of the year and not Damar Hamlin,” chimed in @iam_johnw.
Joe Flacco snatching Comeback Player of the Year away from Damar Hamlin pic.twitter.com/DJmMW5bTay
— ayoub (@vrixfw) February 9, 2024
“Damar Hamlin came back from the dead, but that wasn't enough for him to win comeback player. He apparently needed to wait three days until he rose from the dead to impress the eight voters who left him off their ballot,” voiced out Charean Williams.
Lamar Jackson won his 2nd MVP and Joe Flacco took Comeback Player of the Year from Damar Hamlin pic.twitter.com/7Ajri8wH2E
— dinner plate-sized areola stan acct 🏁 (@mattyaintshit) February 9, 2024
Both Joe Flacco and Damar Hamlin have great comeback stories to tell, albeit in drastically different ways. For Hamlin, that he found a way to continue playing football despite going into cardiac arrest on the field is a true testament to his perseverance and resiliency. For Flacco, it's his surprising resurgence with the Browns, who signed him in November following Deshaun Watson's injury.
For the record, Hamlin got more first-place votes than Flacco, but the latter was carried by a huge 19-vote second-place advantage over the Bills DB.
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