PFF Awards 2024: Joe Burrow wins Comeback Player of the Year

• Joe Burrow bounced back in a big way: After suffering a season-ending wrist injury last year, Burrow led the league in PFF passing grade, passing yards and passing touchdowns.

• Deserving MVP? Burrow easily led all players this season in PFF’s wins above replacement metric metric. 

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PFF's award winners are selected through a voting process exclusive to 28 senior analysts, contributors and members of the PFF staff, ensuring the decisions reflect the insights and expertise of those deeply involved in the game.

This year’s Comeback Player of the Year is Joe Burrow, who earned 23 votes to claim the honor. The runner-up was Sam Darnold with three votes, while J.K. Dobbins rounded out the top three with two votes.

To view all 2024 award winners, click here.

After Joe Burrow underwent surgery on his throwing wrist in November of last season, many wondered if his career would eventually become another case of, “What if he stayed healthy?” After all, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft had already suffered two season-ending injuries in his four years in the league. 

Not only did Burrow respond with a fully healthy campaign in 2024, but his fifth season was his best yet. He proved once again why he is, at minimum, a top-five quarterback in the NFL and was PFF's runaway choice for Comeback Player of the Year. 

Burrow led the league in a multitude of passing categories this season, including PFF overall grade (92.8), yards (4,918) and touchdowns (43). His 37 big-time throws were tied with Josh Allen for the league lead, as well. He finished the season as easily the most valuable player, according to PFF’s wins above replacement metric.

Most Valuable Players in 2024, per PFF WAR

Perhaps the only reason Burrow won’t secure his first career MVP award is the faults of the team around him. Despite their franchise quarterback’s heroics, the Bengals failed to make the playoffs with a 9-8 record. Removing Burrow from the equation, Cincinnati fielded the 10th-lowest-graded offense and the 11th-lowest-graded defense overall. And yet, the Bengals were still one Denver Broncos loss away from sneaking into the playoffs because Burrow was that special. 

What makes him so great? He’s not fazed by anything.

Joe Burrow’s PFF Passing Grades by Situation in 2024

No other quarterback is in the top three of all of those categories. Burrow also leads the league with a 93.7 PFF passing grade on short throws (0-9 yards) while placing inside the top 10 for both intermediate throws and deep passes. 

He expertly maneuvers the frequent collapsing pockets his offensive line gave him, as the Bengals finished with the fourth-worst PFF pass-blocking grade this season. Then, he’d often find either Ja’Marr Chase or Tee Higgins with pinpoint accuracy. 

While the season didn’t go the way he hoped from a pure wins and losses perspective, Burrow showed once again why he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Having this type of success after season-ending wrist surgery makes him an easy choice for Comeback Player of the Year.