NFL

NFL Comeback Player of the Year Predictions & Best Bets

UpdatedAug 8, 2026

Reading time4 min

With the Patriots and Seahawks set for a Wednesday night kickoff on September 9, the 2026 NFL regular season is almost upon us. As the season rapidly approaches, our team at Pickswise is diving headlong into its coverage for the upcoming campaign. Our analysis and projections for the NFL futures market continues with a look at the Comeback Player of the Year Award.

A season ago, this award went to San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, who bounced back from injury with a tremendous season as the 49ers overcame a number of injuries to improbably make the playoffs. Will another superstar claim this award once again? The betting market certainly thinks so. Who will be the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2026? Let’s take a look at the NFL odds for CPOY and my NFL best bet to make.

Find out our expert NFL futures picks for EVERY MAJOR MARKET, including Super Bowl winner, MVP, every player award and every division winner!

Welcome Bonus

UnderdogPlay $5, Get $100

Trading involves risk, including total loss on positions. Content is promotional and not a recommendation to trade. Promotion issued by affiliate. Terms apply. Must be 18+ (19+ in AL, NE; 19+ in CO for some games; 21+ in AZ, MA, and VA) and present in a state where Underdog Fantasy operates. Terms apply. See assets.underdogfantasy.com/web/PlayandGetTerms_DFS_.html for details. Offer not valid in MD, MI,NY, OH, and PA. Concerned with your play? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit www.ncpgambling.org; NY: Call the 24/7 HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY or Text HOPENY (467369)

$100Claim Offer

2026 NFL Comeback Player of the Year odds

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook and available at time of publishing.

Patrick Mahomes +185
Kyler Murray +550
Jayden Daniels +550
Aaron Donald +750
Daniel Jones +1300
Malik Nabers +2200
Nick Bosa +2500
Tucker Kraft +2700
Micah Parsons +2700

In recent years, the favorite has been the way to go when placing a bet in this market. That appears to be the case once again, as Patrick Mahomes sits atop the odds board following a disappointing Chiefs season that ended with the quarterback tearing his ACL. However, there are other options on the board that could be intriguing, especially if Mahomes is unable to play a full season or the Chiefs underperform compared to market expectations. Let's get into my picks and best bet for the Comeback Player of the Year award.

Welcome Bonus

ProphetXTrade $50, Get $75

Must be 21+ to sign up and play.

$75Claim Offer

2026 NFL Comeback Player of the Year best bet: Kyler Murray (+550)

Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.

At first glance, I wanted to back Aaron Donald with a wager in this market. After all, the future Hall of Famer is potentially coming out of retirement after 3 years away from the NFL to help anchor the defensive front for the Super Bowl favorites. We know that the Rams are a team that the NFL media and voters could get behind, but I just cant get there with Donald at this price to win the award — especially since it's still unconfirmed if Donald is even going to play for Los Angeles this season. Instead, I’m going to look toward the Minnesota Vikings and target a veteran quarterback to have a bounce-back season en route to claiming this award.

Kevin O'Connell has established himself as a head coach that has a reputation of not just rehabilitating quarterbacks, but allowing them to thrive in a very friendly offensive system. We saw this with Sam Darnold in 2024, and the former down-on-his-luck quarterback parlayed that into an eventual Super Bowl championship with the Seattle Seahawks the following season. With that in mind, I'm going to take a shot on Kyler Murray to figure it out on his new team and put together a bounce back season in Minnesota.

With O'Connell as his head coach and the likes of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, TJ Hockenson and Aaron Jones Sr. at his disposal, there's a real opportunity for Murray to put up massive numbers in a new role. While Mahomes is clearly the deserved favorite in this market and there are other names that spark intrigue, Murray is in a great spot to capitalize on the best situation he's ever had as an NFL quarterback and lead Minnesota back to the playoffs. And if the Vikings end up winning double digit games and surpassing preseason expectations in a significant way, don't be surprised if the voters are taken with Murray's story.