The 2017 NFL season is right around the corner, and the new season will bring new opportunity for players whose 2016 campaign was cut short by injury or other reasons. Who will step up as the Comeback Player of the Year in the AFC South?
RELATED: Predicting the 2017 Offensive Player of the Year in the AFC South
The division features a pair of quarterbacks coming off of injuries, but the anything-but-surprising prediction for this year's Comeback Player of the Year in the division has to be Houston Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt.
The three-time Defensive Player of the Year missed out on all but three games last season, and clearly wasn't himself in those three games. He had just eight tackles and 1.5 sacks as he struggled through a back injury that ultimately cut his season short.
When healthy, there's no question who is the best defensive player in the league. Watt's numbers are incredible through his first five seasons:
| Season | Games | Tackles | Sacks | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 16 | 56 | 5.5 | 0 |
| 2012 | 16 | 81 | 20.5 | 4 |
| 2013 | 16 | 80 | 10.5 | 4 |
| 2014 | 16 | 78 | 20.5 | 4 |
| 2015 | 16 | 76 | 17.5 | 3 |
| 2016 | 3 | 8 | 1.5 | 0 |
But whether Watt will ever get back to the form we saw in 2012-2015 is a question that's worth debate.
It feels safe to assume that we'll never see 100 percent of J.J. Watt again. The problem for opposing offenses is that even 80 percent of J.J. Watt is too much J.J. Watt.
If Watt is healthy enough to make an impact this fall, it stands to reason he is the shoe-in candidate for the Comeback Player of the Year in the AFC South. He has the pieces around him on the Texans defense that should allow him to quickly get back into the swing of things, and he could be in store for another big season.
More candidates:
Eric Decker, WR — Tennessee (coming back from hip surgery); Marcus Mariota, QB – Tennessee (coming back from broken fibula); Andrew Luck, QB — Indianapolis (coming back from torn labrum); Blake Bortles, QB — Jacksonville (just kinda sucked last year).
