2026 NFL season: Top 10 contenders for Comeback Player of the Year 2.0

Coming back from: Torn ACL/LCL.

The three-time Super Bowl winner seems next door to certain to return from December knee surgery for the Chiefs' season opener. It's been his goal (or obsession) all along. That alone is astounding. However, there’s more -- much more. Mahomes’ passing numbers in 2025 (3,587 yards, 22 touchdowns, 62.7 completion percentage, 89.6 rating) were each career lows as a starter. So too were his six wins as a starting QB, with the Chiefs failing to make the playoffs for the first time since 2014. It’s not hyperbole to opine that NFL history resides on Mahomes’ comeback. The magnificent Mahomes is one of the greatest talents the football world has ever seen, a certain Hall of Famer after less than a decade in the game. He has captained the league’s most recent dynasty. Is that dynasty dead? Or was 2025 merely the turning point to set the stage for another brilliant saga? Mahomes has claimed six Pro Bowl selections, a pair of first-team All-Pro nods, three Super Bowl MVPs and two AP NFL MVPs. He is no stranger to awards. If the magician returns for another awe-inspiring act, Comeback Player of the Year might not be the only accomplishment he’s celebrating.

CPOTY history: Seventeen of the last 25 Comeback Player of the Year winners have been quarterbacks.

Coming back from: Retirement in March 2024

It’s fitting that Los Angeles keeps producing blockbusters. Trading for Trent McDuffie and signing him to a record contract wasn’t big enough. The Rams then shook up the NFL world with their trade for Myles Garrett. And now, Donald has postponed surefire first-ballot Hall of Fame entry to return to L.A. If he performs anywhere close to his previous level of pure unbridled dominance, he might just author one of the finest comebacks in sports lore. Too much? Donald played 10 years. He was a Pro Bowler in every single season and an eight-time first-team All-Pro. He won three Defensive Player of the Year awards, averaging 11.1 sacks per season playing primarily as an interior defensive lineman. Regardless of what does or doesn’t happen in 2026, take a moment to reflect on just what a prince of defensive darkness Donald was during his career. Donald, 35-years-young, wouldn’t have returned had he not believed he could play at a sky-high level. He’s a bad, bad man, but a prideful one, too. Hence, he was methodical in his decision-making. The amount of snaps and games Donald will play should be an ongoing storyline, but he dominated the game for a decade. It’s an arduous endeavor to bet against No. 99.

CPOTY history: Tommy Maddox, with the Pittsburgh Steelers, won AP Comeback Player of the Year in 2002. He played sparingly in 2001 after three years away from the game.

Coming back from: Torn Achilles.

Often times, the best stories take time to build. An often-maligned figure with the New York Giants, who picked him sixth overall in 2019, Jones was released in 2024. He joined the Minnesota Vikings that season but was never active, and in 2025 was signed by the Colts to compete with Anthony Richardson. Not only did he win the starting job, but he was scintillating from the start of the season. The Colts were darlings of the league. Then the wheels came off, and Jones was hobbled. First, it came out that he was playing through a broken fibula. Then, he tore his Achilles in Week 14. Amazing comebacks are prevalent in 2026, but Jones apparently will be ready to play in Week 1, which is next door to shocking. Indy got off to a 7-1 start last year with Jones at the reins. He looked every bit like a franchise signal-caller and just as much like a potential Comeback Player of the Year. The Colts didn’t win a game without Jones last season. This could be the year that Jones completes his comeback arc.

CPOTY history: Last season, Christian McCaffrey snapped a seven-year streak of QBs winning Comeback Player of the Year. The run began with the last Colt to garner the accolade: Andrew Luck.

Coming back from: Foot injury/release from Cardinals.

Once viewed as the savior of the Cardinals franchise, Murray’s seven seasons with Arizona came to an unceremonious end when he was released in March. He played just five games in 2025, hobbled by a foot injury and sullied by play that was hardly stellar. He quickly signed with the Vikings this offseason, aiming to resurrect his career under head coach Kevin O’Connell, who has previously coaxed Pro Bowl-caliber play from Kirk Cousins and a stunning career rally from Sam Darnold. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft is still just 29, has a pair of Pro Bowls on his résumé, an array of receiving talent around him and a potential kingmaker at coach. If Murray ushers the Vikings back into the postseason after a disappointing 2025, it might be time for Comeback Kyler at NFL Honors.

CPOTY history: No Vikings player -- or Cardinals player, for that matter -- has ever won Comeback Player of the Year. Three of the last six winners (Joe Burrow in 2021, 2024; Alex Smith in 2020) were former No. 1 overall picks, like Murray.

Coming back from: Knee/hamstring/elbow injuries.

The 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year cleared the injury hurdle this offseason, but his ability to stay healthy and reclaim the phenomenal form of his first year will likely tell the story of the 2026 Commanders. After rocky performances from the Commanders in joint practices and during the preseason, the odds are getting steeper. Still, Daniels led the resurrection of the Washington franchise as a rookie, quarterbacking the team to its first NFC Championship Game appearance since 1991. Then came 2025, a season marred by injuries for Daniels and a free fall back to earth for the Commanders, who went 5-12 -- the exact opposite of their record in the feel-good 2024 campaign. After ailments limited Daniels to just seven games and only two wins as a starter, the player who seemed like an instant D.C. savior must put his cape back on. As a passer and runner, Daniels had 4,459 yards of offense and 31 offensive TDs in 2024. Will that Daniels be back?

CPOTY history: The only Washington player to win Comeback Player of the Year was Alex Smith in 2020.

Coming back from: Torn ACL/meniscus procedure.

Sent to the Packers in a 2025 offseason blockbuster, Parsons didn’t disappoint in Year 1 with Green Bay. He posted 12.5 sacks in 14 games and was a first-team All-Pro, continuing the narrative that he’s one of the game’s greatest defenders, nay, players overall. However, Parsons not only tore his ACL in Week 15, but also had to undergo a procedure to repair his meniscus. So, it appears the best-case scenario is that he returns in 2026 just in time for a showdown with his former team -- the Dallas Cowboys -- in Week 6. The football gods do love their drama, after all. While all the histrionics last year that preceded his Dallas exit were plenty to deal with, this is another type of adversity for Parsons to overcome. The odds might be against him returning to elite form in his first year back from an ACL tear, but Parsons is set on coming back and leading the Pack into the playoffs.

CPOTY history: The last defensive player to win CPOTY was Chiefs safety Eric Berry in 2015 -- one year before wide receiver Jordy Nelson earned the honor and became the only Packers winner in history.

Coming back from: Torn ACL.

Atlanta had no first-round pick in 2026. The team made two first-round selections in 2025: Jalon Walker, who is out for the season with a torn ACL, and James Pearce Jr., who is suspended for the first eight games of the season. In 2024, the Falcons drafted Penix eighth overall, despite having signed Kirk Cousins to a massive contract that same offseason. With their recent roster gambles not paying off like they hoped, the franchise’s trajectory might well ride on the left shoulder of Penix. He has just 14 NFL games under his belt, but he’s 26 and his play (2,757 passing yards, 12 touchdown passes, six interceptions in those 14 games) hasn’t come close to securing his spot as the future of the franchise at QB. Penix was recently cleared for 11-on-11 work -- yet didn't play in preseason action -- and must convince head coach Kevin Stefanski to give him the starting nod over Tua Tagovailoa. The Falcons have locked up RB Bijan Robinson, WR Drake London and TE Kyle Pitts this offseason, so there's a strong foundation of talent on offense. If Penix emerges from his injury and fulfills the potential that convinced the Falcons to shock the NFL world with their draft day decision, an amazing turn of events could unfold. Expectations are relatively low for the team in 2026 because of the muddied waters at QB. Penix can change everything in Atlanta with a successful comeback.

CPOTY history: No Falcons player has ever won CPOTY. However, 2001 Falcons first-round pick Michael Vick won the award with the Eagles in 2010 and remains the only left-handed QB to garner the recognition.

Coming back from: Being traded by the Raiders.

Gotham’s prodigal son has returned. Eleven years ago, a Jets teammate broke Smith’s jaw in a locker room donnybrook. He played his last game for the team that selected him in the second round of the 2013 draft a season later. He was written off, but, as he memorably quipped years later, he didn’t write back. Smith resurrected his career with the Seahawks, going to a pair of Pro Bowls and winning 2022 Comeback Player of the Year. Smith’s winding road led him to the Raiders, but 2025 was a calamity. Vegas won three games. Pete Carroll, Smith’s career-saving grace, was fired after the season and Smith was traded. In theatre that only the Jets -- and New York -- can produce, Smith was sent back to his original squad, with Aaron Glenn quickly proclaiming him the starter. Is there another comeback in Geno? If there is, oh, what a story it will make.

CPOTY history: Should Smith win CPOTY, he would become the third player to ever win the award twice, joining the Bengals' Joe Burrow and Chad Pennington, who won it with the Miami Dolphins in 2008 and the Jets in 2006.

Coming back from: Not playing a game since 2024 season; returning to Giants for first time since 2018

OBJ was absent from the NFL for the 2025 season. He hasn’t played in a game since Dec. 8, 2024, when he caught one pass for one yard on one target from Tua Tagovailoa in a Miami Dolphins loss to Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets. Times have changed.

Beckham making the Giants’ initial 53-man roster was already a feel-good accomplishment on its own. Once one of the elite wide receivers in the game, Beckham’s best days were long ago. But he’s found himself back where he made that catch, put up monster numbers and became a bona fide superstar. Should he play in Week 1 against the Cowboys in a Sunday night showdown with the world watching, it’ll mark his first game in a Giants uniform since Dec. 2, 2018. Eight years later, if he’s got anything left in the tank, OBJ can empty it here and he can make it … all the way to NFL Honors.

CPOTY history: No Giants player has ever won the award.

Coming back from: Dislocated kneecap/multiple ligament tears suffered in December 2024.

It's been the longest of roads traveled for Dell and the finish line is still unknown. Placed on injured reserve to begin the season, Dell is still poised to be back on the field this year, aiming to play his first game since Dec. 21, 2024. On that December day, Dell suffered a gruesome knee injury. Prior to his IR designation, he was checking off all the mile markers this offseason. Should he sprint back into the fold and become a contributor to a Houston squad with high aspirations, it will be a phenomenal tale of perseverance. His chemistry with quarterback C.J. Stroud, who’s looking for a rebound season of his own, should also be a major boon for the Super Bowl hopefuls. A 2023 third-rounder, Dell had seven touchdowns in 11 games in his and Stroud’s rookie season. The Texans' success, particularly over the past two campaigns, has centered on a dastardly defense. Such a dreadful injury seems bound to slow the speedy wideout, but if he can breathe life into the offense and bounce back, perhaps the 2026 finish line will be NFL Honors.

CPOTY history: A wide receiver hasn't won CPOTY since Keenan Allen with the Chargers in 2017. No Texans player has ever won the award.