Is Andrew Luck the Leading Contender for Comeback Player of the Year?

According to NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is the leading contender for Comeback Player of the Year–which is given annually by the Associated Press to typically the player who most overcomes adversity:

"Oct 18, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) throws a pass against the New England Patriots in the first half during the NFL game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports1) Andrew Luck, QB, Indianapolis Colts: Going all the way back to Week 1, Luck was never quite right last season. A quarterback with picture-perfect pocket presence and the confidence to stick any throw — standing still or on the move — was suddenly timid in the pocket and gun-shy when his receivers weren’t open. We remember the lacerated kidney, but it’s easy to forget the early-season throwing shoulder injury that sidelined him for two games and the rib-cartilage damage that hampered his play in October. The Colts believed Luck was finally healthy and ready to hit his stride under new coordinator Rob Chudzinski when he led Indianapolis to an upset victory over the previously undefeated Broncos in Week 9. Luck never played another snap the rest of the season.This is the same quarterback who led the NFL with 40 touchdown passes in 2014, carried a flawed team to the AFC Championship Game and had grizzled veterans such as Frank Gore and Andre Johnson raving that he was the best in the league as a “football god” with coach-like powers of perception.This is the same precocious superstar who inspired superlatives such as the most impressive young quarterback in 40 years, the quarterback who will go down in history as the greatest ever and a fourth-quarter marvel with Michael Jordan traits.“You want to talk about a guy who makes the team? He is Michael Jordan,” one general manager told ESPN’s Mike Sando last summer. “Their defense sucks. Every game, he has to outscore everybody. He is the epitome of a 1. If I was to draft tomorrow any player in the NFL, it would be Andrew Luck one,Aaron Rodgers two.”“You have to understand,” NFL Media analyst Brian Billick wrote last offseason. “Football people don’t talk this way about young players.”As long as he’s fully recovered from last year’s injuries, there’s no reason to believe Luck won’t recapture the form that led to a No. 7 ranking in the 2015 edition of NFL Network’s “Top 100 Players.”"

Clearly, the Colts believe the same thing after handing their franchise quarterback a 6-year, $140 million deal with $87 million guaranteed–making him the highest paid player in NFL history.

Throwing behind a woeful Colts offensive line, Luck got banged up early in the season and struggled because of lingering injuries. He was eventually TKO’d all together, as he suffered a season-ending lacerated kidney against the Denver Broncos in Week 9 and missed the team’s final 7 regular season games.

Luck threw for just 15 touchdowns to 12 interceptions and had a career low passer rating of 74.9 in what was a forgettable season for the young quarterback.

Still, there remains an awful lot to like about Luck.

Despite a down season, the 26 year old quarterback remains one of the top young signal-callers in the NFL. The former 2012 #1 overall pick of the Colts possesses the arm, accuracy, athleticism, and everything else a general manager looks for in a superstar quarterback.

Even after how dreadful last year unfolded, Luck is just one season removed from throwing for a league-leading 40 touchdown passes, throwing for the 3rd most passing yards at 4,761 total pass yards, and carrying the Colts to the AFC Championship game.

With the Colts having drafted 1st round rookie center Ryan Kelly and an improved offensive line all-around, Luck appears poised for a bounceback season.

Specifically, the young quarterback should have more time to make plays in the pocket and hopefully will be kept healthy and upright–returning to his elite form.

He’ll have his fair share of competition for the Comeback Player of the Year Award; however, as the Dallas Cowboys Tony Romo and Dez Bryant, Green Bay Packers Jordy Nelson, Kansas City Chiefs Jamaal Charles, Pittsburgh Le’Veon Bell, and Arizona Cardinals Tyrann Mathieu are all also strong candidates in their own right respectively.

That being said, Luck appears to be the frontrunner for the award, as he’s capable of playing at an MVP caliber level when he’s healthy and going right.