@count_damoney been saying for years that eventually someone was going to win the award like this. Chris Boucher had an outside shot a few years ago. It was inevitable
@dustinswedelson because JK Dobbins came back from something, while the voters were told specifically not to vote for someone like Sam Darnold. And then 15 weirdos did it anyway
@bobbybigwheelin@Maddacci@ProFootballTalk it's only "open to everyone" if the voters are as childish and disingenuous as the gamblers of the internet. I guess we'll see what happens
@bobbybigwheelin@Maddacci@ProFootballTalk again you're just ignoring what the AP is asking for in the interest of either gambling or shit stirring. You can point to whatever technicality you want, but after Geno/Flacco and the AP putting out the criteria, it's clear. Luckily there's lots of great real candidates
@bobbybigwheelin@Maddacci@ProFootballTalk Geno Smith wins. They prepare the changes, but don't release them in time. Then Joe Flacco wins. Then they announce the new criteria. Since we understand context and logic, we know that they, the AP, are asking that their award be given to someone who is actually coming back
@bobbybigwheelin@Maddacci@ProFootballTalk any argument that you can technically make Darnold a candidate is flimsy at best anyway, and ignores the fact that we all definitely understand what the AP is asking for from this award, and it's for players coming back from something other than being bad
@bobbybigwheelin@Maddacci@ProFootballTalk we all know that the AP is intending for their award to be given to someone like Joe Burrow or JK Dobbins or Kirk Cousins or Christian Gonzalez or any of the other countless players who had an injury or something happen to make them not available to their team
@bobbybigwheelin@feck12a@ProFootballTalk there should be a different award for players like Darnold. But there currently isn't. Regardless of what you think of the criteria, it's the criteria. The voters should follow the criteria. I hope they create a Most Improved or Breakthrough Player or something for next year
@stenberg2010 @feck12a@ProFootballTalk it's clearly not what the AP is asking for. It's their award. It's a shame there's no Breakthrough Player of the Year award or something for Darnold to win
@Maddacci@ProFootballTalk what happened to people just being cool? no reason for this to even be an argument. It's clear what the AP is asking for, Darnold doesn't fit it at all, but gamblers are demanding we change the meaning of words. I do think most voters will end up just following the rules
@JALupowitz @ProFootballTalk agreed. Or call it a "Breakthrough Player" award. also if voters want to honor Sam Darnold's incredible season, they can put him on their MVP ballot. The AP has made it clear the kind of player they want to give Comeback POY. Someone who was not available to his team last season
@feck12a@ProFootballTalk he was the backup every game and played in 10. And clearly the AP is asking the voters to give the award to someone who was hurt and actually missed time, like JK Dobbins or Joe Burrow. It would be so rude and unprofessional for voters to just spit in the AP's face like that