Kirk Cousins is early leader for AP Comeback Player of the Year

In his final season with the Minnesota Vikings, quarterback Kirk Cousins was on pace to win an MVP award after lighting up the NFL through the first half of the 2023 season. However, he would end up suffering a devastating torn Achilles on what looked like a routine dropback.

As we all know, the Vikings let him leave and sign with the Atlanta Falcons. After a disappointing debut in red and black, Cousins has turned things around and put his name squarely in the Comeback Player of the Year conversation after a historic performance on Thursday Night Football.

AP Comeback Player of the Year is Kirk Cousins' award to lose after five weeks

The requirements for winning Comeback Player of the Year over the past few seasons has become more and more shady. Ryan Tannehill and Geno Smith won the award after coming off the bench and having great seasons while Joe Flacco won it last year for getting off his couch to play football.

Those aren't exactly the types of "comebacks" the NFL was looking for so they clarified what it means.

Thank goodness that happened last offseason because now Kirk Cousins should be the favorite to win CPOY.

Going into the 2024 season, it felt like a race that would come down to Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins—two players who sustained Achilles injuries.

Between Rodgers' ineffectiveness and Cousins' breakout performance at home, Cousins created a gap between the future Hall of Famer and him.

Sam Darnold's name has been mentioned as another candidate but that won't (and shouldn't) be the case. He falls into the Geno Smith, Ryan Tannehill category. The only thing Darnold is coming back from is the bench which isn't the point of the award.

If Kirk Cousins can keep his pace, his name will be honored at the NFL Honors ceremony at the beginning of February. He would be the first Falcon to take the prize home.