We all know football is a physically brutal sport that forces players to put their bodies through hell week in and week out.
Of course, this often leads to many injuries and last year the NFL saw what felt like an unprecedented number of its biggest stars forced to sit out with season-ending injuries.
Which means that the field of Comeback Player of the Year candidates is awfully crowded, with many looking to have big bounce-back seasons following injuries, with many going under the knife.
Last year, now-retired Alex Smith won the award with Washington Football Team by overcoming incredible odds to take the field again after undergoing more than a dozen surgeries and nearly losing his leg from a compound fracture in 2018.
Quite frankly, Smith probably would have won the award had he taken just one snap. But this year figures to be a bit different. Many star players have spent the months of their offseason rehabbing and getting back into playing shape as they look to return to their old form prior to their injuries.
Here is a look at some of the star-studded candidates to win Comeback Player of the Year in 2021:
RB Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
Getty ImagesBarkley tore his ACL in Week 2 last season and the team has cautiously been preparing him for the 2021 season. He has produced two 1,000-yard seasons prior to missing nearly all of 2020.
Barkley is still looking to find the same level of success his rookie season when he rushed for 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns. With some new weapons for quarterback Daniel Jones, perhaps the Giants offense will become more versatile which could allow for a healthy Barkley to once again thrive — as long as the offensive line also continues to imprive.
QB Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Getty ImagesDak Prescott's health will be one of the major storylines in the NFL this year as the Cowboys' success likely hinges on the 28-year-old QB. Prescott is returning from a compound fracture and dislocated ankle that required two surgeries.
He has been hamstrung with a shoulder injury in training camp, only adding to the uncertainty surrounding him heading into the 2021 season. But if Prescott can be anywhere near the QB he was in 2019, where he threw for 30 touchdowns and almost 5,000 yards, the Cowboys ought to be in good position to win the NFC East while Prescott could get Comeback Player of the Year honors.
DE Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers
USA Today SportsNick Bosa was yet another casualty of an ACL injury last year, missing almost all of 2020 after sustaining the injury in Week 2 against the Jets. The 2019 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year will aim to bounce back strong and build off his rookie season in which he had nine sacks, a forced fumble, interception and 25 QB hits.
Bosa appears to be in line to start Week 1 and a healthy Bosa would make the 49ers defensive front one of the most feared in the league as they aim to get back to the Super Bowl after being decimated by injuries last year.
WR Odell Beckham Jr., Cleveland Browns
Getty ImagesOdell Beckham Jr. is going to be one of the more intriguing players to watch this season. He tore his ACL in Week 9 last year and this will be the second time in his career he will try to bounce back from a season-ending injury.
In 2017, he had season-ending surgery on an ankle fracture and has not quite had the same level of success since then, although that could be due to other circumstances as he has not looked slowed down in any way.
Meanwhile, Browns QB Baker Mayfield seemed to thrive without Beckham last year. It will be interesting to see if the wide receiver's return only enhances Mayfield's play or if there will be any chemistry issues between the two of them. One would think conventional wisdom points toward Beckham only making the Browns better and that would certainly be the case if he and Mayfield are on the same page.
RB Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers
USA Today SportsChristian McCaffrey was limited to just three games last year as he dealt with a myriad of injuries, namely a high-ankle sprain but also shoulder and thigh injuries. But the 25-year-old has said he is back to 100% in May during OTAs and the Panthers are playing it safe, keeping him out of preseason games.
A healthy McCaffrey is arguably the most dangerous player in football. He became just the third player in NFL history to have 1,000 yards receiving and rushing in a single season in 2019 and aims to return to his dominant form.
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