Predicting the NFL's Biggest Comeback Players in 2026

NFL fans are drawn to a good comeback story, especially when it involves a star player returning from adversity. Those stories are a reminder that even after our worst days, better ones can still be ahead.

Just this past season, we saw quarterback Sam Darnold, whose career was once in tatters, win the Super Bowl. In 2024, Detroit Lions edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson played in just five games before breaking his leg, but he rebounded in a big way the following year, finishing fourth in the league with 14.5 sacks.

Every player listed here saw their 2025 season cut short by injuries, missing more than half of last year. Each plays a crucial role in their team's chances of success in the 2026 season.

And every one is headed toward the kind of season that will have them in the conversation to win Comeback Player of the Year honors.

QB Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

AP Photo/David Dermer

Comebacks have been something of a theme throughout Joe Burrow's career. The quarterback has missed at least six games three times in six years—including nine games a year ago with a toe injury.

The first two times the 29-year-old missed significant time with injury, he won NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors.

While speaking to reporters, Burrow said that he's feeling as well as he had in some time:

"I had some tough years with injuries and stuff, and it took a while to get my body the way I wanted it, but now I'm in a really good place. I had a lot of time this year. You know, I hurt my big toe in Week 2, and I couldn't be on the field, but it wasn't as debilitating an injury as some of the others I've had. So, I was able to keep working out and staying in shape, keeping my body strong. I had time to recover and still got back to play. The older I get, the more knowledge I have about my body to make sure I'm doing the right things to put myself in positions to be as strong, fast, and powerful as I can be."

We have seen what a healthy Burrow can do—the last time he played a full season, Burrow led the league in passing yards (4,918) and touchdown passes (43). Burrow has also taken the Bengals all the way to a Super Bowl.

Playing on a loaded offense with an improved defense, Burrow should be among the most prolific quarterbacks in the league in 2026.

QB Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings

AP Photo/Abbie Parr

Kyler Murray is attempting to do much more than just come back from injury in 2026—the first overall pick in the 2019 draft is trying to resurrect his professional career.

Yes, Murray is ostensibly trying to return from a foot injury that limited him to five games in 2025. But the reality is that he probably could have played late in the season last year. He was benched—and after several disappointing seasons, the Arizona Cardinals released him in the offseason.

The Redbirds are paying Murray $35 million this year—to play for the Minnesota Vikings.

He has to see off J.J. McCarthy for the right to start at quarterback this year, but if Justin Jefferson's comments to the media are any indication, Murray already has a leg up on the competition:

"He understands the game. He understands the defenses. He understands just how to put touch on the ball, just enough to where it gets to where it gotta go, without making it difficult for us. So, he understands the game a lot more just because he's been in the game for a couple of years now. So, he kinda throws the ball before you even get out of that break. Throws you open for sure. He's a smart guy, and he's a competitor just like me."

Murray was Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019 and made the Pro Bowl in 2020 and 2021. The Minnesota offense has no shortage of passing-game talent. And we have already seen Minnesota head coach Kevin O'Connell breathe new life into Sam Darnold's career.

It can be argued that Murray is a more talented player than Darnold.

RB Cam Skattebo, New York Giants

AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.

It didn't take New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo long to become a fan favorite in the Big Apple. In his second professional start, he topped 100 total yards. The following game, he scored three times on the ground.

In the eighth game of his rookie season, however, Skattebo dislocated his ankle and his 2025 campaign was over.

Now, though, Skattebo is back on the practice field. And while addressing the media, new Giants head coach John Harbaugh had nothing but good things to say about the 5'11", 215-pounder:

"He's worked super hard, super hard. I did mention maybe no back flips out here today. We agreed. I thought he was just what you saw, a downhill runner, a tone-setter type runner. He's a tough tackle. That's what you look for. How many guys can make yards when they're not supposed to make yards on their own? It seems to me he was that kind of guy at Arizona State and the exact same guy that I saw on tape last year. He's a top-tier back, and he's planning on playing that way this year."

There's quite a bit of enthusiasm surrounding the Giants this year, in no small part because of the young offensive core of quarterback Jaxson Dart, wide receiver Malik Nabers and Skattebo.

Of that trio, Nabers is the least likely to be ready for the beginning of the regular season, which could result in the Giants leaning even more heavily on Skattebo and the ground game early on.

WR Mike Evans, San Francisco 49ers

AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Mike Evans is in uncharted territory in 2026.

Mind you, it's not like he has never been injured—the 32-year-old sat out three games two years ago. But in a dozen professional seasons, he had never failed to amass 1,000 yards in a season before a broken clavicle limited him to just eight games and 368 yards in 2025.

Not only is Evans attempting to return from injury, but he's also on a new team after signing with the 49ers in free agency.

However, veteran tight end George Kittle said Evans has been dominant on the practice field:

"He was cooking everybody, don't care who it is. You can't just cover him one-on-one, really. He's going to win almost every single time. Him and Brock immediately established a rhythm, which was really fun to watch. Everything he does is just such a high level of professionalism. You don't always see it from a 13-year wide receiver who's put up 1,000 yards in 11 out of 12 seasons. You don't always see that, and he came in, and everybody's just so happy with Mike, and he's awesome."

A 49ers team with Super Bowl aspirations badly needs someone to step up as the team's new No. 1 wide receiver, especially with Kittle rehabbing a torn Achilles suffered in the postseason a year ago.

Evans has shown for over a decade that he's capable of being that guy. And if he's healthy again, he could put up some of the biggest numbers of his career in 2026.

TE Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers

AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps

For a time last season, it appeared Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft was about to join the elite tier at his position—he was on pace to record a 1,000-yard season. He caught six touchdown passes in eight games. And his 15.3 yards per catch led all tight ends and ranked seventh among all pass-catchers.

But in a Week 9 contest with the Carolina Panthers, the 25-year-old tore his ACL.

Per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, Kraft expects to be ready to go with no limitations in the season opener. And he was pleased with his level of play last year before the injury:

"I went out as tight end (No.) 1, in my opinion. Just the things that I do at the point of attack, where I'm at on any given play, I feel like I went out at the top. I thought that at a combination of the do-it-all Y (tight end), which is me, that there wasn't another guy in the league that was doing it as well as I was. Some people might think I'm delusional to say that. The film is going to speak for itself. Outside zone, inside zone, screen game, down the field. As far as putting it all together, I felt like I was at a great spot."

It can be argued (fairly easily) that Kraft was the No. 1 option in the Green Bay passing attack when he got hurt.

If he can come close to that level of production over a full season, Kraft will join Brock Bowers of the Raiders and Trey McBride of the Cardinals as the gold standard among NFL tight ends.

Edge Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers

AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman

That the San Francisco 49ers made the playoffs at all last year was quite the achievement—the team was savaged by injuries, especially on defense.

The edge-rusher position was blasted. Both team starters entering the season, Mykel Williams and Nick Bosa, suffered season-ending ACL tears. Bosa's occurred after just two sacks, three games into the year.

It marked the second time in his career that Bosa tore his ACL, but the 28-year-old told reporters that his first injury in 2020 taught him a lot about how to attack his rehab this time around:

"When I did it in 2020, it was just like balls to the wall, get back, push every milestone as hard as you possibly can. I probably dealt with some stuff that I didn't need to deal with in terms of bumps in the road of recovery. Now, I'm taking it slow. I have references to go back and look at. I got injured pretty early last year so there's plenty of time for me to really kind of lay the groundwork to be ready for a long season."

When Bosa is at his apex, he's as good as any edge-rusher in the NFL. In 2022, he topped 50 tackles, tallied a whopping 48 quarterback hits, led the NFL in sacks with 18.5 and won Defensive Player of the Year honors.

That was the second of four straight Pro Bowl nods for the eight-year veteran. Bosa may not be Myles Garrett, but he isn't that far off—and the 49ers badly need him on the field and 100 percent in the season opener against Garrett and the Rams.

LB Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers

AP Photo/Peter Joneleit

Fred Warner has been a mainstay in the middle of the 49ers defense from the moment he entered the NFL. He was a 16-game starter who tallied 124 total tackles as a rookie in 2018.

By his third season, he was a first-team All-Pro. Over his first seven seasons, he never failed to accrue 115 total tackles.

Until last year, that is.

Six games into the 2025 season, Warner suffered a dislocated and broken ankle against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Prior to that, Warner had missed one game in his career—total.

Warner is on track to be 100 percent for the opener, and new Niners defensive coordinator Raheem Morris told reporters that's great news for the team:

"No disrespect to all the great players that I've been lucky enough to be around. I don't know if anybody's had the juice that Fred has. The greatness, the great mornings, the great days, the great attitude, the mentality to go out every single day and win the day. He brings a different attitude every single day and it is absolutely refreshing. I've seen the ups and downs from some of your great players, whether it's been the Aaron Donald's or Jalen Ramsey or a Derrick Brooks or John Lynch, a Ronde Barber. I haven't seen a guy be as consistent as he's been since I've been here as Fred. He's every single day."

A healthy Warner is in the conversation as the NFL's best off-ball linebacker. He appears intent on reminding people of that this year.

CB/WR Travis Hunter, Jacksonville Jaguars

AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack

Travis Hunter was a massive disappointment for the Jaguars last year—after an offseason of deafening hype, the two-way sensation the team traded two first-rounders to move up and draft made a nominal impact on both sides of the ball before a knee injury ended his rookie season after seven games.

While speaking to reporters, Jaguars head coach Liam Coen wouldn't put a date on when Hunter will be 100 percent. But he did say he was impressed with how he approached the offseason:

"I'm extremely pleased with where Travis is at mentally and physically. I'm not a doctor, I don't know when he is going to be full go, but I do know that he runs on this field every morning with the guys and he's looking damn good. He's added so much mass on his upper half, he worked so hard in the weight room through the winter and this offseason. There is no question he's gotten stronger, specifically in the upper half."

The key to a big-time bounceback for Hunter may have more to do with his usage than how close his knee is to being fully healed. Jacksonville general manager James Gladstone has stated that Hunter will play more cornerback after playing mainly at wide receiver as a rookie.

The Jaguars need to pick a lane. Talented though he may be, Hunter still has plenty to learn about playing in the NFL. Asking him to play both ways is both unrealistic over a full season and hinders his development at both positions.

The Jaguars need a shutdown corner. So let him become one.