Gettty C.J. Mosley celebrates a defensive stand
Each season the Associated Press awards the NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Looking back at the list of previous winners and you find a diverse group. Be it players coming back from injury, an incredible story like that of Eric Berry or a true redemption story like that of Michael Vick.
It’s this truly diverse collection of winners that makes betting on Comeback Player of the Year so much fun. The favorites to win come out on top less than one would assume. William Hill has released odds for 22 players for which they are taking wagers.
Rob Gronkowski 3-1
Ben Roethlisberger 7-2
J.J. Watt 6-1
Matthew Stafford 7-1
A.J. Green 8-1
Cam Newton 10-1
Nick Foles 16-1
Alex Smith 22-1
Myles Garrett 25-1
Antonio Brown 25-1
DeSean Jackson 33-1
Baker Mayfield 33-1
Andy Dalton 40-1
Jared Goff 40-1
Joe Flacco 40-1
David Johnson 40-1
Ju’Wuan James 50-1
Trent Williams 50-1
Akiem Hicks 66-1
C.J. Mosley 66-1
Malcolm Butler 66-1
Josh Rosen 66-1
Gronk 3-1 and Big Ben 7-2
Not much needs to be said about these two players innate talent for the game. The real question that will need to be answered is how will a year off from football impact their ability to get back in the groove.
In this case, Gronk may have a leg up on Big Ben as Gronk will be joining a Tampa Bay team with the likes of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, O.J. Howard, Cameron Brate and the GOAT himself, Tom Brady. Brady will have the luxury of spreading the ball around to pro-bowl caliber receivers without having to solely rely on Gronk to shoulder the pass-catching load.
This should make for an easier transition back into game speed for Mr. Gronkowski as opposed to being thrown directly into the fire like Roethlisberger will be facing.
Follow the Heavy on Winners Facebook page for the latest breaking news, picks and content!
A.J. Green 8-1
There are way too many variables to try to predict what kind of season A.J. Green will have this year. The Bengals are still the Bengals. Green will have a rookie quarterback throwing to him which can make timing and familiarly large hurdles to climb.
To add insult to injury, the Bengals have revamped their offensive line which, in theory, should be an improvement over last season, but just like QBs and WRs, it takes time to develop cohesiveness. Based on all the unknowns surrounding the Bengals, 8-1 odds on Green seem a bit on the short side. We expected to see Green in the 12-1 to 18-1. There are better options on the list.
C.J. Mosley 66-1 – Best Value on the Board
The heading title says it all. At 66-1 C.J. Mosley is the best value offered on the board at William Hill. Mosley was a first round draft pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2014 and in the five years he played in “Charm City” he was a 4-time Pro-Bowl selection as well as a 4-time second team All-Pro selection. Mosley also amassed 579 tackles, 8.5 sacks and 9 interceptions.
In 2019 Mosley was traded to the New York Jets, however he suffered a groin injury during his first game. He did try to make an appearance in game 2 of the 2019 season, but ultimately it was determined that he would need season-ending surgery to repair the damage from his injury.
It’s likely that there are two reasons for Mosley to be getting such long odds in this category. First, injuries can be tricky from which to come back from, so that raises some uncertainty. Second, is that he plays for the Jets. (Sorry Jets fans) It’s just simply an unfortunate set of circumstances that the Jets most likely will be mediocre at best this season, also they generally get second billing to the team with which they share a stadium.
The unfortunate reality is that it’s easy for a player like Mosley to fly under the radar in that type of environment. However, if he can put up his pre-injury numbers, he won’t be flying under the radar for long. At 66-1, why not throw a couple greenbacks on him…just in case.
Best Value Pick: C.J. Mosley 66-1
Honorable Mention: Myles Garrett 25-1
*Odds provided by William Hill