2026 Matt Bressington Awards

The combined awards from the 2026 EFA and AFLE seasons.

It sucks having two leagues, so might as well ignore it and combine the awards anyway.

The 2026 EFA season has come to an end with the Nordic Storm dismantling the Munich Ravens in a blowout loss; it was a somewhat disappointing end to a somewhat disappointing season. On the reverse side, the AFLE has a surprise finalist in the Wroclaw Panthers as they play the Vienna Vikings in a fun ending to a disastrous season. But for a fleeting moment, let's just enjoy the player seasons, shall we?

MVP

Jadrian Clark, Nordic Storm

Clark is ageing like a fine wine as he continues to stack up awards over the last 4 years of his career. His pocket presence and relentless attacking over the top made him the scariest signal-caller in Europe this season, with an amazing 56 touchdowns with his arm and a 70% accuracy clip in what was arguably his most dominant season. 63 explosive passes is the last number I need to prove he was the rightful winner, even in the combined leagues.

Honourable Mention: Jameson Wang, Wroclaw Panthers

Jameson Wang has been exceptional this season and is clearly one of the best in all of Europe. 50 total touchdowns in the season (pending the final), two of the biggest upsets of the year, and possibly over the last 5, beating the Vienna Avengers and the Rhein Fire. His playmaking ability, arm talent, quick release, and processing all came through this season. An all-time season, unquestionably one of the finest we have ever seen in Europe.

OPOTY

Brendan Beaulieu, Nordic Storm

1799 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns, one of the best seasons we have ever seen in Europe, full stop. 31 explosive plays and 17.1 yards show his proclivity to get downfield and pick up the chunk yardage. There was never a time when the ball was in the air, and BB wasn't the favourite to come down with it; there were too many spectacular grabs to mention when talking about his season; all that matters is he led Europe in pretty much every receiver category.

DPOTY

Luke Glenna, Nordic Storm

Glenna was everywhere on the field making plays in 2026: sacks, fumbles, interceptions, blocked kicks, everywhere. The Nordic Storm defence is one of the best we have seen in European history, but Glenna's football IQ and reactions made him an elite piece in the cold front. His championship performance wrapped it up well, a couple of sacks and a lot of pressure as his role was to make Tabor uncomfortable and impact the run game, which he did, leading to his first European championship.

Honourable Mention: Maceo Beard, Nordic Storm

Mace was not involved with the official EFA DPOTY nominations, which was very surprising. Tied first with four interceptions, 8 PBUSs and a pair of sacks to put it all together. Mace is one of the best players Europe has produced over the last 5 years; he is an elite zone corner, can play at an all-star-level safety, and is a major disruptor at nickel as well. A very fine campaign by a player I feel some people underrated this season.

STPOTY

Bijon Harris, Munich Ravens

Starting the season with a kickoff return isn't a bad way to set yourself up for the award. Two more kickoff returns throughout the season wrapped up this award pretty easily. There isn't much else to say about it; he averaged nearly 40 yards every time he returned a kick and was the only player in Europe's top league to score more than a single score as a returner.

Comeback Player of the Year

Glen Toonga, Nordic Storm

Another award which doesn't need an honourable mention. From tearing an Achilles to scoring in every single game of the regular season and playoffs, leading both leagues in rushing yards and leading the EFA in rushing touchdowns. This one simply isn't up for debate.

Young Player of the Year (U25, Offence)

Bais Kouanda, Berlin Thunder

I have been beating the drum of Bais Kouanda from his rookie season in the ELF. This season on a pass-heavy Berlin offence, he was second among all European receivers in both the AFLE and EFA with 976 yards, with an additional 9 touchdowns, with 14 catches going over 20 yards. He is one of the fastest players in Europe, and his 484 yards after reception show he can be a top-level playmaker when given the opportunity. At only 24 years old, I'm really excited about what is next for Bais.

Young Player of the Year (U25, Defence)

Jakob Scheucher, Raiders Tirol

Finishing top 8 in tackles in the EFA in your rookie season is already very impressive. Add in a pair of sacks and a lot of great reps on film, and we have one of the best young linebackers in all of Europe. The 20-year-old is quick, athletic, has a ton of burst, and I think has potential to be one of the faces of the league, not just the gem in the middle of a Raiders team that is expected to be elevating. Head coach Shuan Fatah is very highly regarded in Europe for developing young prospects into studs, and Jakob looks to be the next one in line.

Newcomer of the Year (No prior Euro experience)

Kenji Bahar, Rhein Fire

Bahar bounced around North American leagues before landing in Germany for his debut season in Europe with the Rhein Fire. There was a lot of hype around him coming in based on his experience, and he adapted well. Given the past issues Quarterbacks have had in Europe, it seems Kenji adjusted well. 32 passing touchdowns and 66.9% accuracy is certainly not a bad debut. Rhein's offence was a high flier, as in previous years; unfortunately, it ended poorly as they missed the Gold Bowl, but that hardly seems attributable to Bahar's effort.

Offensive Line of the Year

Nordic Storm

The idea of having a single player win the award for best offensive lineman was there; Victor Stoffel would have won it, but the Nordic Storm offensive line is more than just one exceptional player. The championship was the cherry on top because it was just an absolutely dominant display; they manhandled everyone all season. Glen and Jay in the backfield went virtually untouched, with Clark sacked only 7 times throughout the season and Toonga facing no more than 10 times before the line of scrimmage. Every player in the unit deserves their flowers, one of the best of all time once again.

Most Improved Player

David Tawake, Nordic Storm

When David signed with the Nordic Storm last season, there was a lot of hype around his high ceiling, but in 2025 he had a smaller role as he developed. In 2026, he broke out fully as a vital piece of the defence, leading the Nordic Storm in sacks (8) and bringing a lot of pressure into the backfield as a top-level run stopper. His ceiling is still not met, however, and I do predict that we will see Tawake in the All-Star conversation over the coming years.

E-Player of the Year

Alexander Raich, Munich Ravens

Raich was, far in a way, the best linebacker in Europe for the 2026 season. His speed and relentless work in the run game were only matched by his swiftness and lateral movement in the passing game. It was a delightful performance all season to watch a player of his calibre, and he showed that there are levels among the "all-star contenders" and THE best in the league. His presence in the middle of the Ravens defence can be largely credited with the unit's quality.

See you, space Cowboy...