Who Are the Front-Runners for CPOY?

In one of the tightest NFL award races, there are four main contenders leading the Comeback Player of the Year odds.
At the head of the pack is San Francisco 49ers rusher Christian McCaffrey. He’s followed by Dak Prescott, Aidan Hutchinson, and Daniel Jones at the start of Week 3.
All four contenders finished the 2024 campaign with a major injury or on a team’s practice squad. I’m backing a player who is a bit of a shocker, and somebody I didn’t anticipate dropping my NFL picks on.
📊 NFL Comeback Player of the Year odds 2025-26
The latest NFL Comeback Player of the Year odds are from the best sports betting sites and update in real time.
🏆 NFL Comeback Player of the Year odds favorite
See our NFL player prop odds tool for the best Offensive Player of the Year futures odds on any player.
⛏️ Christian McCaffrey (+175)
My previous best bet, Christian MCaffrey, is now the sole leader in the race for Comeback Player of the Year. McCaffrey was considered the league’s best running back this time last year coming off his 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year campaign. And then training camp hit, and the reports about his ongoing calf and Achilles injuries started to pick up steam.
The three-time All-Pro was never right in 2024, appearing in just four games with 50 total carries. His final game of the season came in early December.
The 49ers look very different so far this year, with an injured wide receiver corps and quarterback leading me to believe that head coach Kyle Shanahan will continue to heavily feature a run game headlined by McCaffrey. If San Francisco is going to be the class of the division once again, CMC will have to be a significant part of the 49ers’ success.
A successful $10 bet on McCaffrey would net $17.50 in profit with an implied probability of 36.36%.
👀 NFL Comeback Player of the Year best bet
🐴 Daniel Jones (+750)

After a tumultuous tenure in New York and a brief stint in Minnesota on the practice squad, Daniel (Indiana) Jones has emerged as one of the best stories in the NFL through the first two weeks of the NFL season.
He’s started the season nearly perfectly and is second in the NFL in passing yards with 588 yards to go with two passing touchdowns. Not only has Jones been successful moving the ball via the air, he’s also been a fantastic runner, especially in the red zone. Jones has accumulated three rushing touchdowns on the year on top of his passing accolades. Jones has also led this Colts team to a 2-0 early season record.
If Jones can keep playing at this level, he has a very good shot to take home the coveted Comeback Player of the Year trophy. I would advise to take this bet now at +750 odds, as the Colts take on the Titans in Week 3.
Not only does he have the numbers to back up the award early on, but he also has the story. Which plays a big factor in winning this award.
A successful $10 bet on Daniel Jones would net $750 in profit with an implied probability of 11.76%.
📈 Comeback Player of the Year betting insights
Here’s a look at the ticket information for Comeback Player of the Year, courtesy of BetMGM.
Category | Player | Value |
---|---|---|
Highest Ticket% | Aidan Hutchinson | 26.0% |
Highest Handle% | JJ McCarthy | 32.5% |
Biggest Liability | JJ McCarthy | — |
Odds Leader | Christian McCaffrey | +180 |
🔢 NFL Comeback Player of the Year opening odds
Odds via BetMGM.
- Aidan Hutchinson: +250
- Dak Prescott: +325
- Christian McCaffrey: +350
- Trevor Lawrence: +500
- Maxx Crosby: +850
- J.J. McCarthy: +900
- Rashee Rice: +1500
- Tua Tagovailoa: +2500
- Brandon Aiyuk: +3000
- Derek Carr: +3000
- Tank Dell: +3000
- Chris Godwin: +3500
- Chris Olave: +4000
- Anthony Richardson: +4000
- Jaire Alexander: +5000
- Nick Chubb: +5000
- Stefon Diggs: +5000
- Cooper Kupp: +5000
- Marquise Brown: +6600
- DeMarcus Lawrence: +6600
- Deshaun Watson: +6600
- Kenneth Walker III: +6600
- Dre Greenlaw: +8000
- Rashid Shaheed: +8000
- L’Jarius Sneed: +8000
- Evan Engram: +10000
- Christian Kirk: +10000
- AJ Dillon: +15000
- Tyler Higbee: +15000
- Taysom Hill: +15000
- Rondale Moore: +15000
- Zack Moss: +15000
📜 NFL Comeback Player of the Year betting history
Season | Player | Preseason odds |
---|---|---|
2024 | Joe Burrow (QB) | +250 |
2023 | Joe Flacco (QB) | OFF |
2022 | Geno Smith (QB) | OFF |
2021 | Joe Burrow (QB) | +800 |
2020 | Alex Smith (QB) | +300 |
2019 | Ryan Tannehill (QB) | OFF |
2018 | Andrew Luck (QB) | +450 |
2017 | Keenan Allen (WR) | +900 |
2016 | Jordy Nelson (WR) | +600 |
2015 | Eric Berry (S) | +500 |
❓ NFL Comeback Player of the Year FAQs
Who is the favorite for NFL Comeback Player of the Year?
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is the betting favorite by the NFL Comeback Player of the Year odds (+175). Those odds imply a win probability of 36.36%.
Who was the NFL Comeback Player of the Year last year?
Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow was named the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year.
When will the 2025-26 NFL Comeback Player of the Year be announced?
The NFL Comeback Player of the Year will be announced at the NFL Honors show during Super Bowl week in early February.
🏟️ NFL betting odds pages
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