Duly motivated, Bengals' AJ Green among favorites for NFL Comeback Player of Year

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback and No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow is the betting favorite at William Hill sportsbook to win the 2020 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. If Burrow does win that, it means he put up some big numbers and that would also bode well for receiver AJ Green to win Comeback Player of the Year. Green is a +800 fifth-favorite on the William Hill moneyline odds.

Green tore ankle ligaments very early in training camp last summer and never played a down in 2019. There was some thought that perhaps Green could have returned at some point in the season, but he didn't exactly push himself to do so because he was in the final year of his contract and wanted a new deal.

That didn't happen as the Bengals slapped Green with the franchise tag this offseason (worth around $18 million), and the former Georgia star wasn't thrilled with that. Still, it's easy to see why the Bengals would want to see soon-to-be 32-year-old back on the field and producing before thinking about any extension. The sides still have until July 15 to get a long-term deal done. He is fully healthy now.

Green had at least 1,000 yards receiving in his first five seasons as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2011 draft from Georgia. However, he has just one 1,000-yard campaign (1,078 in 2017) since then, missing six games in 2016 (hamstring), seven in 2018 (right toe) and then all 16 in 2019. Green has 8,907 receiving yards in his career and 63 touchdowns, both second in franchise history behind Chad Johnson's 10,783 yards and 66 TDs.

The Associated Press NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award has been around since 1998. The only Cincinnati Bengal to win it was quarterback Jon Kitna in 2003. The last receiver to win it was the Chargers' Keenan Allen in 2017.

Cincinnati opens the season on Sept. 13 as a 3-point underdog on the NFL odds vs. the Chargers. 

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