Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns in 2024 after missing the final seven games of 2023 after incurring a wrist injury, is the 2024 NFL Comeback Player of the Year chosen in voting by the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA).
Minnesota quarterback Sam Darnold, who led the Vikings to 14 victories and set career highs in several passing categories in his first season with the franchise, is the 2024 NFL Most Improved Player of the Year.
Burrow started the first 10 games of 2023, before he suffered a torn ligament in his right wrist at Baltimore on Nov. 17 that ended his campaign after throwing for 2,309 yards and 15 touchdowns. He was back in the Bengals’ huddle for Week 1, and he completed 460 of 652 passes (70.6 percent) for 4,918 yards, 43 touchdowns, only nine interceptions and a 108.5 passer rating. He led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns, and he set or extended his franchise records in completions, attempts, completion percentage, passing yards, TDs and passer rating. Burrow posted eight straight games of 250 or more passing yards with at least three touchdown passes – the longest such streak in NFL history. He became the third quarterback in NFL history to have at least 4,500 passing yards, 40 passing TDs and fewer than 10 interceptions (nine), joining Tom Brady (2007) and Aaron Rodgers (2011). Burrow was the AFC Offensive Player of the Month back-to-back times in November and December/January, and he was the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 17.
Burrow is the Comeback Player of the Year for the second time in his career, also earning the honor in 2021. This is the third honor for the Cincinnati franchise, as quarterback Jon Kitna won the award in 2003 to go with Burrow’s two selections since the award was instituted in 1992.
After playing a combined 16 games with seven starts over the previous two seasons with Carolina in 2022 and San Francisco in 2023, Darnold signed with the Vikings as a free agent in March 2024. He became the first quarterback in NFL history to record 14 victories in his first season with a team since at least 1950 when QB starts were tracked, and he also became the winningest QB in a single season in Minnesota history. He completed 361 of 545 passes (66.2 percent) for 4,319 yards (third-most in Vikings history), 35 touchdowns and a 102.5 passer rating – all career highs. He posted 13 games with a 100 or better passer rating, which tied for second-most in league history with Aaron Rodgers (2011) and Patrick Mahomes (2018). Darnold led the NFL in completions of 20-plus yards with 62, and completions of 25-plus yards (41). He threw for at least two touchdowns in 12 games, second-most in the league, and he was one of five QBs with at least three touchdown passes in six games. He was the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for September after he threw for a league-high 11 touchdowns in four games.
Darnold is the first member of the Minnesota franchise to receive the Most Improved Player of the Year honor since it was first awarded by the PFWA in 2000.
2024 COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR: QB Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
2024 MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE YEAR: QB Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings
PFWA COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR: 1992 – QB Randall Cunningham, Philadelphia Eagles; 1993 – RB Marcus Allen, Kansas City Chiefs; 1994 – QB Dan Marino, Miami Dolphins; 1995 – QB Jim Harbaugh, Indianapolis Colts; 1996 – RB Jerome Bettis, Pittsburgh Steelers; 1997 – WR Robert Brooks, Green Bay Packers; 1998 – QB Doug Flutie, Buffalo Bills; 1999 – DT Bryant Young, San Francisco 49ers; 2000 – DE Joe Johnson, New Orleans Saints; 2001 – RB Garrison Hearst, San Francisco 49ers; 2002 – QB Tommy Maddox, Pittsburgh Steelers; 2003 – QB Jon Kitna, Cincinnati Bengals; 2004 – RB Willis McGahee, Buffalo Bills; 2005 – WR Steve Smith, Carolina Panthers; 2006 – QB Chad Pennington, New York Jets; 2007 – WR Randy Moss, New England Patriots; 2008 – QB Chad Pennington, Miami Dolphins; 2009 – QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots; 2010 – QB Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles; 2011 – QB Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions; 2012 – RB Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings; 2013 – QB Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers; 2014 – TE Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots; 2015 – S Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs; 2016 – WR Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers; 2017 – WR Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers; 2018 – QB Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts; 2019 – QB Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans; 2020 – QB Alex Smith, Washington Football Team; 2021 – QB Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals; 2022 – QB Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks; 2023 – S Damar Hamlin, Buffalo Bills; 2024 – QB Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals.
PFWA MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE YEAR: 2000 – QB Jeff Garcia, San Francisco 49ers; 2001 – QB Kordell Stewart, Pittsburgh Steelers; 2002 – QB Chad Pennington, New York Jets; 2003 – QB Jon Kitna, Cincinnati Bengals; 2004 – QB Drew Brees, San Diego Chargers; 2005 – DE Osi Umenyiora, New York Giants; 2006 – RB Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers; 2007 – QB Derek Anderson, Cleveland Browns; 2008 – RB DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers; 2009 – WR Miles Austin, Dallas Cowboys; 2010 – RB Arian Foster, Houston Texans; 2011 – WR Victor Cruz, New York Giants; 2012 – WR Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys; 2013 – WR Alshon Jeffery, Chicago Bears; 2014 – RB Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers; 2015 – (tie) QB Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins and CB Josh Norman, Carolina Panthers; 2016 – LB Vic Beasley, Atlanta Falcons; 2017 – QB Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams; 2018 – TE George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers; 2019 – QB Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans; 2020 – QB Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills; 2021 – (tie) CB Trevon Diggs, Dallas Cowboys and RB Cordarrelle Patterson, Atlanta Falcons; 2022 – QB Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks; 2023 – QB Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; 2024 – QB Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings.
