Denver Broncos Award winners: NFL Comeback Player of the Year
Peyton Manning, 2012
Each year, the player who wins this award is one who generally came back from a serious injury or other career-threatening situation. In 2012, Peyton Manning was an obvious choice.
That is truly saying something considering the season that Adrian Peterson had that year. Coming off of a torn ACL, Peterson came within eight yards of breaking the NFL's all-time rushing record for a single season, eventually winning him league MVP honors.
But Manning's comeback was even more remarkable.
After an incredible career with the Indianapolis Colts, Manning was cut after missing the 2011 season following a serious neck surgery. Many wondered if he would ever be able to play again and if he could, it certainly couldn't be at the same level.
Possessing the No. 1 overall pick that year, the Colts moved on from Manning in order to draft Andrew Luck. John Elway, then the general manager of the Broncos, managed to convince Manning to come to Denver and the rest is history.
In 2012, Manning passed for over 4,600 yards with 37 touchdown passes. Not only did he prove that he was still just as good as he ever was, he showed that he could still be one of the best players in the league and take the Broncos on a run.