Not a single team contacted Joe Flacco until the Browns reached out to sign him to their practice squad in late November. He wasn’t on Cleveland's active roster until early December, when injuries and ineffective quarterback play thrust him into the starting spot.
Now, against all odds, Flacco is +105 at DraftKings to win the Comeback Player of the Year Award, despite playing in only five games. Meanwhile, Damar Hamlin, who’s been the heavy favorite all year, is just -155 to take home the award.
Flacco was lights out Thursday night in Cleveland’s 37-20 win over the Jets that clinched a playoff spot. He was phenomenal from the jump, completing 16-of-22 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns for a 135.4 passer rating in the first half. His 296 first-half passing yards are the second-most in the league this season behind Patrick Mahomes’ 321 yards against the Chargers. Flacco threw only nine passes in the second half with Cleveland up big, and he finished 19-of-29 for 309 yards and three touchdowns.
Flacco’s ascent in the Comeback Player of the Year Award race has been well documented, but it bears repeating since it’s so wild. He was +25000 to win it after debuting in a losing effort to the Rams. His odds improved sharply to +6000 after leading Cleveland to a 31-21 win over the Jaguars. They increased to +1200 after beating the Bears, then reached +450 after last Sunday’s win over the Texans. They continued to climb in the days leading up to Thursday’s game against the Jets, reaching +250 prior to kickoff.
Baker Mayfield (+700), Tua Tagovailoa (+1400) and Matthew Stafford (+2000) round out the top five, but it’s pretty much a two-man race between Flacco and Hamlin at this point. Flacco will have one last chance to state his case in next week’s season finale against the Bengals.
