With the NFL season approaching, Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey are among the top early contenders for the 2025 honor. The AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year award recognizes players who returned from missed playing time and overcame adversity. The award is presented annually at the NFL Honors in the Super Bowl’s host city.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow earned the award in 2024 for his impressive comeback after a wrist injury and surgery to his throwing arm.
His record-breaking season and hard work ethic received 31 first-place votes and 370 points. This cemented Burrow even further in the history books, making him the first player to win the award twice with the same team. The two-time Pro Bowler also won the award in 2021 after bouncing back from a significant knee injury.
Detroit Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson enters the 2025 conversation as a strong competitor for the award.
The 24-year-old suffered a brutal leg injury in Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys, snapping both his tibia and fibula. Immediate surgery followed, casting doubt on whether the former first-round pick and 2023 Pro Bowler would again be the same instinctive, versatile, and explosive player.
Through just five games, Hutchinson was off to a monster tear. He led the league with 7.5 sacks and 19 total tackles, placing him in Defensive Player of the Year Conversations with players like the recently paid Myles Garrett.
Hutch’s impact on the Lions’ defense was clear. His quick hands, play disruption, relentless motor, and firm edge setting anchored Detroit’s defensive front.
#97 had the rest of the 2024 season and 2025 for recovery and refocusing. Hutchinson could return better than ever in 2025, possibly earning him this award or even DPOY honors.
Star running back Christian McCaffrey played only four games during the 2024 season. His absence was one of the many reasons behind the 49ers’ 6-11 finish and last-place standing in the NFC West.
McCaffrey battled a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury and bilateral Achilles tendinitis, becoming another victim of the Madden Cover Curse. His 2025 campaign is all about redemption and proving doubters wrong.
After being on the cover of Madden 25, CMC had a fifty-carry, zero-touchdown season that fit the curse narrative perfectly. Other familiar Madden cover cursed victims include Calvin Johnson, Drew Brees, Brett Favre, and Vince Young.
If McCaffrey wins the award, he’d be the first recognized for beating the Madden Cover Curse. Quarterback Drew Brees is the only player to both be featured on the Madden cover and win Comeback Player of the Year. Brees was presented with the award back in 2004 and appeared on the cover of the 2010 installment.
CMC is one of the league’s most steadfast, elusive, dynamic playmakers when healthy. His eight-year career features 6,387 rushing yards, 52 rushing touchdowns, 524 catches, 4,466 receiving yards, and 29 receiving scores.
In 2024, backs like Baltimore’s Derrick “King” Henry and 2024 AP Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley ran through and jumped over defenders on their way to dominant seasons. Don’t count out #23 just yet.
Aidan Hutchinson and Christian McCaffrey headline the conversation as early candidates for the 2025 AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year as the offseason progresses. Both players bring experience, leadership, and talent. Expectations will continue to rise as the 2025 NFL season nears.
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