The season felt done for the Cincinnati Bengals when Joe Burrow sustained a severe Grade 3 turf toe injury in Week 2. When Burrow returned (2.5 months later), it was clear what the team was missing. In the six games he played, the star quarterback showed MVP-caliber play, averaging between 270 and 300 passing yards per game. While it was too late to save the Bengals’ sinking ship, Burrow’s individual stats bring up the question of a major NFL honor: Comeback Player of the Year. But is he eligible?

In a recent presser, Burrow was asked if he could realistically win it again after returning mid-season. His response felt utterly honest with a perfect dose of humor. 

“Would I be eligible for it next year?” Burrow inquired as the room burst into laughter.

“Maybe next year.”

Burrow’s injury in Week 2 not only snapped the Bengals’ season-opening winning streak but also distorted their rhythm for weeks forward. In his absence, the team recorded a humiliating 1-8 record.

A glimmer of hope returned with the 29-year-old in Week 13, which broke Cincinnati’s four-game losing streak.

In the six games he played, he managed a high passer rating of 101.5 on average. The only dull point was Week 15 against the Ravens, where he couldn’t log a single touchdown and posted a 58.2 passer rating. 

These aren’t just numbers; this stretch felt like the return of “vintage” Burrow. To put it into perspective, he had managed just two touchdowns to his name before his injury, but he brought his season total to 17 in six games. Two of the games saw four-touchdown performances.

Even in the season-closure, which was defined by Myles Garrett’s record-breaking 23rd sack, the two-time Pro Bowler still managed to throw three touchdowns before the final whistle ended in an 18-20 loss to the Browns. 

With such accomplishments, a question of Comeback Player of the Year isn’t surprising. After all, he has already won the honor twice (once in 2021 and again in 2024). Unfortunately, there hasn’t been a player to win the accolade after being out in the same season. That’s why Burrow isn’t even eligible for the honor this time.

With -700 odds, Christian McCaffrey is leading the race after an extraordinary comeback.

Meanwhile, for Burrow, the Bengals’ rejuvination matters more than the AP Comeback Player of the Year honor. 

Joe Burrow puts Bengals on notice

Despite such stats by the signal-caller, he couldn’t save the season that slipped away during his absence. As a result, for the third straight season, Cincinnati is missing the playoffs. It compelled Burrow to send a straightforward message to the front office and head coach Zac Taylor to “figure out” things. 

“We certainly aren’t where we need or want to be… not where I expect to be,” he said in the recent presser. 

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It’s the third time Burrow has voiced his discontent.

Previously, on December 17, he demanded that the team “think outside the box and get creative.”

Then on January 1, he reiterated that “something needs to change.”

Now, he plans to be more than just a spectator in the offseason. He confirmed that he will meet with the front office and coaching staff to provide his insights into the roster and emphasized that the team must approach the offseason with a clear intent to improve. He admitted that the entire locker room is frustrated and that’s why there has been a “disconnect” during the season.

Burrow isn’t the only one to share this sentiment; wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, too, publicly advocated for the franchise to “do something different” to break their postseason drought.

Perhaps this offseason will be interesting in Cincinnati.