Sportsbook reveals 2019 NFL Comeback Player of the Year odds

With the NFL preseason underway, more and more team and individual futures odds are going to be released daily at the various sportsbooks regarding the 2019 regular season. FanDuel has put out odds to win NFL Comeback Player of the Year, and that's probably the most nebulous award the NFL has. 

What exactly determines a comeback, after all? It is a guy who simply was lousy the year before and then had a great season the next year? Is it a guy who missed all of the previous year injured? What if he missed just, say, 8 games the previous campaign? It's very much an award where the voters simply have a personal preference on what a "comeback" entails. Believe it or not, one guy has won the award twice: Quarterback Chad Pennington did in 2006 with the New York Jets, was limited to games the following season and then won NFL Comeback Player of the Year again in 2008 with the Miami Dolphins. Last year's winner was Colts quarterback Andrew Luck. He played an at MVP-caliber level after missing all of 2017 following shoulder surgery.

The two favorites at 4/1 on the NFL futures odds for this year are San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and New York Jets running back Le'Veon Bell. The Niners were a chic playoff pick entering 2018 after winning their final five games of 2017 when Jimmy G took over as the starter under center following a trade from New England. Alas, Garoppolo tore up his knee in a Week 3 game in Kansas City last year and that ended his, and for all intents and purposes the Niners', season. 

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Bell took the almost unprecedented step of opting not to sign his franchise tender with the Pittsburgh Steelers and sitting out the entire 2018 season. Must be nice to turn away from some $14 million and change. But, Bell didn't want the Steelers overusing him ahead of unrestricted free agency. Bell will be a workhorse this year, that's for sure, because the Jets offense is still a work in progress around him, especially second-year quarterback Sam Darnold. Keep in mind that Bell has played all 16 regular-season games just once in his otherwise terrific career. I could see some voters for this award purposefully not choosing Bell simply as it was his choice to miss 2018 and he shouldn't be rewarded with NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz is 6/1. Again, though, is this really a "comeback" season for Wentz considering he played in 11 games last year? He also hasn't exactly proven able to stay on the field yet other than when he was a rookie.

Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman is priced 10/1 on the NFL odds. He was limited to two games last season due to injury. The last time Freeman played all 16 games was in 2016 and he put up 1,079 yards rushing with 11 TDs on the ground to go with 54 catches for 462 yards and two scores. 

Here are two betting options I don't understand: Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota at 15/1 and Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton at 16/1. Mariota played 14 games last year and completed a career-high 68.9 percent of his passes. How is 2019 a comeback year? Newton was having a terrific 2018 season before injuring his shoulder in a Week 10 loss in Pittsburgh. Newton wasn't the same after and the Panthers fell off a cliff. He had offseason surgery on that shoulder and now has a new throwing motion. 

There's one defensive player available on this prop and it's new Baltimore Ravens safety Earl Thomas at 14/1. His final season in Seattle was cut short due to a broken leg. The only defensive player to win NFL Comeback Player of the Year this decade was former Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry in 2015.

NFL Comeback Player of the Year odds

Jimmy Garoppolo 4/1

Le'Veon Bell 4/1

Carson Wentz 6/1

Devonta Freeman 10/1

Cooper Kupp 12/1

Earl Thomas 14/1

Marcus Mariota 15/1

Cam Newton 16/1

Derrius Guice 16/1

While it's boring going chalk sometimes, we recommend Garoppolo. Quarterbacks win this award more often than not and the Niners have a very realistic chance of being a playoff team in 2019 if Jimmy G stays healthy. If he plays like he did at the end of the 2017 season, he might add the MVP award to NFL Comeback Player of the Year.