Sam Darnold is five games into the best season of his NFL career, yet he will not be eligible to win a postseason award due to a rule change.
That award is Comeback Player of the Year, which Joe Flacco won last season after coming off the couch in November and leading the Cleveland Browns to the playoffs.
According to AP Senior NFL Writer Rob Maaddi, the Associated Press provided new information to the people who vote for the prestigious award each season. This essentially took Darnold out of contention before the season even began.
Maaddi said that the new guidance told voters that the spirit of Comeback Player of the Year is "To honor a player who has demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity by overcoming illness, physical injury or other circumstances that led him to miss playing time the previous season."
The Minnesota Vikings quarterback — while he has played exceptionally well — does not meet this criteria.
Darnold's journey to the 2024 season has just featured struggles on the playing field and stops at different NFL organizations.
The former Southern California quarterback entered the NFL as the third overall pick in the 2018 draft. He landed with the New York Jets and started 13 games. He went 4-9 while throwing 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
Darnold spent two more seasons with the Jets while posting a combined 9-16 record in 25 starts. He threw 28 touchdowns and 24 interceptions.
Darnold did not finish out his rookie contract with the Jets. Instead, the team traded him to the Panthers ahead of the 2021 season. The location change did not benefit him, especially considering that the team had a new general manager and a soon-to-be-fired head coach.
Darnold posted a 4-7 record in his first season, but he also missed multiple games due to a scapula injury. He posted a 4-2 record in 2022 after missing the first 11 games of the season with an ankle injury.
The California native became a free agent after his two seasons in Carolina. He ultimately signed a one-year deal with the 49ers, and he spent the season as Brock Purdy's backup. Darnold only appeared in the season finale as he threw for one touchdown and rushed for another as the 49ers lost to the Rams by one point.
The stint in the Bay Area was short-lived as Darnold joined the Vikings ahead of the current season. The expectation was that he would compete with rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy for the starting job. However, McCarthy landed on Injured Reserve with a torn meniscus.
Darnold has since helped lead the Vikings to a 5-0 record. He has thrown 11 touchdowns and four interceptions while showing his command of the offense. He has thrown for 1,111 yards while getting Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Johnny Mundt, and Aaron Jones involved.
If Darnold maintains this level of play and helps get the Vikings to the playoffs, he will cap off what is undoubtedly the best year of his career. He just won't win Comeback Player of the Year.
