Aaron Donald Has Comeback Player of the Year Odds, But Does He Qualify?

Right now, at various sportsbooks like DraftKings Sportsbook, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald has odds posted for the Comeback Player of the Year Award, but based on the criteria, he shouldn't even be in the running. 

“The spirit of the AP Comeback Player of the Year Award is to honor a player who has demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity by overcoming illness, physical injury, or other circumstances that led him to miss playing time the previous season,” the Associated Press said regarding guidance on how to vote on this award back in 2024.

This clarification came after Geno Smith won the award in 2022 and Joe Flacco won it in 2023. Smith was simply a backup for a few seasons before 2022, and Flacco had won one game as a starting quarterback in the three seasons prior. 

Aaron Donald's Return Doesn't Clearly Fit Award Criteria

As for Donald, he's coming back after not playing since 2023, but it's not because of illness or injury; he retired and is simply coming back. 

Could that be lumped into "circumstances that led to miss playing time the previous season?" Technically, that would make sense, but it doesn't seem like a voluntary retirement several seasons ago is the intention behind that. 

The players ahead of him (+750 odds) at DraftKings Sportsbook include Patrick Mahomes (+185), Jayden Daniels (+450), and Kyler Murray (+600). 

Mahomes tore his ACL in Week 15 last year, ending his season. Daniels played sporadically throughout the season in Weeks 1, 2, 5-7, 9, and 14. He dealt with knee, hamstring, and elbow injuries. As for Murray, he only played in five games due to a foot injury. 

These players all make sense for the injury based on the new criteria, since they all suffered injuries throughout the season. 

Philip Rivers Provides Recent Precedent

That being said, Philip Rivers got a vote last season. He was in a similar circumstance to Donald, coming out of retirement. He was retired for five years and played in three games. 

We'll see how many votes Donald receives despite the directive on the award.