2026 NFL Comeback Player of the Year Odds: Star QB opens as betting favorite
During Week 15 of the 2025 NFL season, Chiefs fans witnessed a distressing sight as their franchise quarterback went down in the heat of battle.A devastating clean ACL and LCL tear in Patrick Mahomes’ left knee capped a tumultuous 6-11 season for Kansas City. After months of tedious offseason rehabbing, the three-time Super Bowl MVP is not only inching closer to a Week 1 return, but he also has the chance to add another prestigious accolade to his extensive trophy collection.Holding 36 percent of the market on Kalshi, Mahomes is currently the early betting favorite to take home NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors.Trailing the Chiefs star is Kyler Murray of the Vikings, who currently commands 17 percent of the market, while Giants WR1 Malik Nabers holds down the third spot with eight percent of the total trades.Rounding out the top contenders, former Giants teammates Daniel Jones and Micah Parsons are joined by Packers tight end Tucker Kraft in a three-way stalemate for the fourth-best odds, each claiming six percent of the market share.Traditionally, this recognition has served as a powerful award for a player’s perseverance through significant injury trauma or physical setbacks. Just last year, 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey secured the award after battling through an injury-filled 2024 campaign that limited his productivity.Should Mahomes claim the top spot, he would join a prestigious group as the eighth quarterback since Andrew Luck in 2018 to be decorated with the Comeback POY distinction.Fresh off a blockbuster 8-year, $504.75 million contract extension signed in early June, the two-time MVP enters the new campaign following a career-year performance on the ground, racking up 422 rushing yards and five scores. With offensive mastermind Andy Reid and the familiar presence of Eric Bieniemy—who helped guide Mahomes to dual Super Bowl rings in 2020 and 2022—reunited at the helm, the All-Pro talent appears poised for another statistically sou...