Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow knows a thing or two about winning comeback player honors.
But when it comes to the real thing and even power rankings of the best NFL “comebacks” in 2026, Burrow might have an impossible mountain to climb.
And the mountain’s name is Patrick Mahomes.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ star passer is on the way back from a season-ending injury that resulted in a playoff miss, which slots him first overall in 2026 comeback player rankings from Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox.
Burrow is fourth on the same list.
“As a two-time Comeback Player of the Year, Burrow has a track record of returning from injury to perform at an elite level,” Knox wrote. “Of course, that may be viewed as a negative in the eyes of voters seeking a fresh story for 2026.”
Burrow only technically started eight games last year and the Bengals went 5-3. They went 1-8 without him.
The whole conversation is probably moot, really. So it goes with star passers. When Burrow got hurt and came back, few really stood a chance to win the award from him. That’s probably going to be the case for Mahomes too, provided he can get back and get the Chiefs back to their usual ways.
Still, it’s just another little way Burrow and Mahomes will be competing against one another next year.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Can Joe Burrow beat Patrick Mahomes on comeback lists next year?
Reporting by Chris Roling, Bengals Wire / Bengals Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
