Once an enemy in Baltimore, Flacco was called off his couch to help the injury-riddled Browns and responded by guiding them to the playoffs.
LAS VEGAS — Joe Flacco, who came off the couch to lead the Cleveland Browns to the playoffs, is the AP Comeback Player of the Year.
Flacco beat out Bills safety Damar Hamlin and Buccaneers quarterback (and former Brown) Baker Mayfield. He received 13 first-place votes, 26 second-place votes and eight thirds to finish with 151 points.
Flacco, the 39-year-old former Super Bowl MVP with the rival Baltimore Ravens, was home in New Jersey with his family when Cleveland called him in November. He went 4-1 in five starts and passed for over 300 yards in four straight games with 13 touchdowns.
Hamlin returned to the NFL this season after collapsing on the field and needing to be resuscitated following a cardiac arrest on Jan. 2, 2023. He played in five regular-season games. Hamlin received 21 first-place votes but appeared on 42 of 50 ballots while Flacco was on 47. He got seven second-place votes and 14 thirds for 140 points.
First-place votes are worth five points, second-place votes are three and third-place votes are one.
Mayfield, who bounced around from the Browns to the Panthers to the Rams last season, started every game for Tampa Bay and led them to the second round of the playoffs. He got 10 first-place votes and finished with 93 points.
Others receiving first-place votes were: Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (4), Rams QB Matthew Stafford (1) and 49ers QB Brock Purdy (1).