Damar Hamlin leading Comeback Player of the Year race over Joe Flacco leaves fans upset - "Only winning because he died on the field"

Joe Flacco's 2023 performance is considered by many one of the most surprising turnarounds in recent NFL history.

Heading into the season, he was a 38-year-old free agent who appeared to be on the verge of retiring from football. And not many would have faulted him had he done so. He was already a Super Bowl champion and an MVP with a strong history of playoff success.

But midway through 2023, the Cleveland Browns lost Deshaun Watson to a shoulder injury. Needing a more capable quarterback than PJ Walker and Dorian Thompson-Robinson, they turned to Joe Flacco. And he has more than repaid the faith since, with a 4-1 record, culminating in a 37-20 win over the Jets on Thursday that clinched them a playoff spot.

Normally, that would mean a strong case for Comeback Player of the Year, but one man has him beat: Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who courageously returned to the field in October nearly ten months after collapsing on the field:

The majority of fans do not agree that Hamlin should win the award over Flacco.

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Sportswriter calls Joe Flacco's Browns renaissance a missed opportunity for Jets

On Thursday night, the Cleveland Browns beat the New York Jets, 37-20. Joe Flacco's dominance against his previous team cannot be stated well enough. In the first half alone, he embarrassed them with a career-best 296 yards and three touchdowns against an interception.

In the process, the 38-year-old became the first player in NFL history to have at least 250 passing yards and multiple touchdowns in each of his first five games with a team.

He and the Browns are "so fortunate" to have found each other, as head coach Kevin Stefanski explained in the postgame presser (via ClutchPoints).

"It's a great story. I know you guys love this story, but I'm just happy for Joe... He's got something left in the tank."

On the other side, however, the Jets are possibly ruing not bringing back their former cohort (Joe Flacco) after Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles in his very first game with them. Mark Cannizzaro said (via New York Post):

"If you’ve followed the Jets long enough, you saw this coming. You knew Flacco was going to embarrass his former team... How it’s possible Flacco wasn’t called by the Jets will remain a mystery unless someone tells the actual truth."

"The fact that the Jets felt their quarterback room was plenty sound enough with Zach Wilson and Tim Boyle, and then Trevor Siemian, is a painful reminder of how badly they whiffed on this and left their season in peril."

The Browns and Jets end their respective seasons against the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots. Game times will be announced after Week 17 ends.