Dallas Cowboys: Is Dak Prescott a lock for Comeback Player of the Year?
Dak Prescott is ready to return for the Dallas Cowboys, so does the quarterback already have NFL Comeback Player of the Year locked up?
Losing quarterback Dak Prescott to a devastating season-ending leg injury was not the only thing that went wrong for the Dallas Cowboys in 2020. However, as soon as the signal-caller went down, there was little hope of anything good happening thereafter. Andy Dalton’s stint proved just how valuable Prescott is, which is likely part of the reason why the franchise finally ponied up to pay him this offseason.
All signs now point to Prescott being ready to start under center in Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season and, with the offense fully healthy and loaded, that has raised expectations for the Cowboys. However, it also likely puts the quarterback in line to win some hardware come the end of the year.
Prescott is the early favorite to win NFL Comeback Player of the Year and, frankly, that’s not remotely shocking. Much like Alex Smith even playing a down in 2020 earned him the same award, Dak returning the field after suffering such a debilitating injury would likely get him the honor. Of course, there is one thing that could keep that from happening.
The only way Dak Prescott doesn’t win Comeback Player of the Year is if the Dallas Cowboys quarterback wins NFL MVP.
Prescott taking the field to begin the season and just playing, as with Smith, is enough to earn him Comeback Player of the Year. However, there is some predictability with awards at the end of the season, namely with voters not wanting to hand out multiple types of hardware to the same player.
Subsequently, if Dak Prescott were to rejoin the Cowboys on the field and put forth otherworldly numbers — something he was on track to do early last season — while also leading Dallas to a strong overall record, he would be in the NFL MVP conversation. And it’s hard to think that voters would then hand out MVP and Comeback Player of the Year to the same player. Then aagain, they might.
Next. Best 2021 NFL breakout candidate for every team. dark
In any case, Prescott is the deserved favorite to win Comeback Player of the Year and, unless something goes terribly wrong, he’ll likely remain in that position all year. But if winning NFL MVP means not taking home the other award, Cowboys fans will certainly be hoping Comeback Player of the Year is handed out to someone else.