Midseason Demons: Who’s Raising Hell for MVP?
- Jordan Pryor
- Jul 4
- 7 min read
The halfway point of the European League of Football season is here, and there's more drama and excitement than ever. We've seen the rise of programs like the Prague Lions fighting for playoff positioning, the dominance of the new program Nordic Storm, and the consistency of teams like the Rhein Fire, Stuttgart Surge, and Paris Musketeers.
Last year’s midseason MVP list was all over the board. This year, to promote a more focused conversation, Fourth Down Fiasco has introduced specific criteria for the midseason award so everyone is on the same page. To be considered for MVP at this point in the season, a player must:
Be on a team with a winning record
Be top 5 in a major statistical category
Have a marquee performance
Having these guardrails in place should reduce the need for self-explanation when it comes to the list. The names are presented in alphabetical order. While I have my own opinions about who deserves MVP honors at this point in the season, I want readers to draw their own conclusions.
MVP FRONTRUNNERS
Aron “All Madden” Cruickshank
Team Record: 4-2
Stats: 62 receptions (1st), 1,030 receiving yards (1st), 11 receiving TDs (1st)
Marquee performance: 203 yards and 3 TDs versus Hamburg in Week 7
Case for:
Aron “All-Madden” Cruickshank has unquestionably been the most dominant wide receiver in the league. At the halfway mark of the season, he’s already surpassed 1,000 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns—both tops in the league. With a rare combination of balance, speed, and vision, Cruickshank is posting numbers typically reserved for video games.
Case against:
The only knock here is positional bias—this is a tough award for a wide receiver to win. As phenomenal as Cruickshank has been, someone has to get him the ball. If Sinnett had more turnovers or a lower completion rate—if Cruickshank were truly doing it all on his own—he might be the runaway favorite. However, the reality is that his quarterback is also putting up video game numbers. For Cruickshank to win this, Sinnett would likely need to see a noticeable drop in efficiency, without it impacting Cruickshank’s production.
Ben “BenVP” Holmes
Team Record: 5-1
Stats: 1,288 passing yards (6th), 21 TDs (3rd), 2 INTs (2nd) *minimum 50 completions, 115.7 QBR (3rd)
Marquee performance: 5 TDs versus Raiders Tirol in Week 7
Case for:
Despite a worse record than last year, the Vikings look dominant—and Ben Holmes is the engine behind it. He’s thrown just two interceptions to 21 touchdowns, showcasing an uncanny ability to consistently make the right read.
We’ve also seen more from him on the ground this season. He’s already eclipsed last year’s rushing totals and is averaging around 8 yards per carry. They don’t call him “White Lamar” for nothing!
Case against:
As impressive as Holmes has been, his completion percentage sits at around 58%. That’s not a huge concern when you’re leading one of the league’s most explosive offenses, but it’s something he’ll need to tighten up heading into the playoffs.
Compared to other quarterbacks in the MVP race, he’s also lagging a bit in passing yards—averaging just 215 per game, down from the 260 he posted last season.
Jadrian “One Way Jay” Clark
Team Record: 5-0
Stats: 1,500 yards (3rd), 22 TDs (2nd), 1 INT (1st) *minimum 50 completions, 66.08 CMP% (3rd), 130.8 QBR (2nd)
Marquee performance: 370 yards and 6 TDs versus Wroclaw Panthers in Week 6
Case for:
There was a collective sigh around the league when 2024 MVP Glen Toonga went down for the season after Week 1—but Jadrian Clark is reminding everyone exactly who he is: HIM. Folks must have forgotten that Clark holds the record for most touchdowns in a single season and is a two-time reigning championship game MVP, because he’s playing like a man scorned.
Through five games in 2025, Clark has thrown 22 touchdowns to just one interception—and he’s made it look effortless, even without his former MVP teammate in the backfield. On top of that, the Nordic Storm remains the only undefeated team in the ELF. It can be lonely at the top, but Clark seems to enjoy the solitude. With the chance to snag yet another MVP, he’s collecting accolades like they’re Infinity Stones.
Case against:
As dominant as Clark and the Storm have looked, their strength of schedule leaves something to be desired. While that’s obviously out of Clark’s hands, and the team has handled every opponent exactly the way they should—leading the league in point differential—I’d still like to see how Clark performs against Rhein. They’re the one true heavyweight left on the schedule, and that matchup could define his MVP campaign.
Reid “The Bull” Sinnett
Team Record: 4-2
Stats: 2,033 yards (1st), 26 TDs (1st), 3 INT (T-6th) *minimum 50 completions, 69.5 CMP% (1st), 135.7 QBR (1st)
Marquee performance: 370 yards and 6 TDs versus Wroclaw Panthers in Week 6
Case for:
The golden arm of the ELF. Sinnett leads the league in passing yards, completion percentage, touchdowns, QBR, and yards per attempt. If it’s a major passing stat, he’s probably at the top of it. The man is the definition of elite-quarterback play.
Another reason Sinnett belongs in the MVP conversation is his direct impact on winning. The Bravos’ defense hasn’t been particularly strong, meaning Sinnett has to be locked in every week just to keep Madrid in the fight against top-tier opponents. If he has an off-game, they lose.
Case against:
This might sound a bit nitpicky, but here it is…
As dominant as Sinnett has been, he can still be forced into mistakes under pressure, as we saw in the loss to Frankfurt. Other issues led to Madrid losing that game–specifically, the defense giving up over 400 yards rushing–but this was also not Sinnett's sharpest performance either. With a defense that shaky, Sinnett has to be damn-near perfect every week, and when he’s not, it shows. I’ll be watching closely to see how he handles going head-to-head with Tabor and the Munich Ravens this weekend
Russell “Tabor Time” Tabor
Team Record: 5-1
Stats: 1,408 yards (4th), 338 rushing yards, 18 TDs (4th), 4 rushing TDs (T-6th), 106.8 QBR (5th) *minimum 50 completions
Marquee performance: 370 yards and 6 TDs versus Wroclaw Panthers in Week 6
Case for:
Man, this youngster is fun to watch. Tabor’s ability to improvise under pressure, paired with a cannon for an arm, has catapulted him into the top-5 quarterback conversation. Some of the wild plays he pulls off are reminiscent of former ELF great Zach Edwards. He might not have the same frame, but his knack for turning broken plays into highlights is undeniable.
Munich boasts a top-5 offense, averaging 35.8 points per game, and sits at 5-1 with a marquee win over the Stuttgart Surge. There were questions about how Tabor would fare stepping in for Jeffries, and the answer is clear: he is thriving. The Ravens have definitely found their QB of the future.
Case against:
As electric as Tabor has been, ball security remains a concern. Yes, his rookie campaign has been incredible, and he looks like a future face of the ELF—but 7 interceptions and 4 fumbles through six games won’t cut it come playoff time. Munich scraped by a stacked Stuttgart team, and Tabor had heroics that won the game, but his decision-making will need to be cleaned up if he wants to take the Ravens on a deep run.
MVP DARK HORSES
Lautaro “The Fresh Prince” Frecha
Team Record: 4-2
Stats: 4 INTs (1st), 113 INT yds (1st), 35 tackles, 5 BRUPs, 3 TFLs
Marquee performance: 2 INT, 2 BRUPs, and 2 TFL game with a game-sealing pick versus Hamburg in Week 6
Case for:
Aside from being the league leader in interceptions, one could argue that Frecha single-handedly won them the rematch against the Hamburg Sea Devils. With great ball skills, vision, and a quick reaction time, quarterbacks have to throw with pinpoint accuracy if he is in the vicinity, or else it’s going the other way. He has truly been pivotal for the Lions in their rebirth this season.
Case against:
As much as the Prague Lions have become the darlings of the ELF, their wins have come mostly against middle-of-the-pack or struggling teams. Frecha also had a slow start to the season, particularly against Vienna and in the first matchup with Hamburg. While he’s shown major improvement since, the upcoming rematch with Vienna will be the true test of whether he belongs in this MVP conversation.
Max “The Park Ranger” Parkinson
Team Record: 5-0
Stats: 7 sacks (2nd), 8 TFLs (3rd), 5 PDs, 1 FF
Marquee performance: 5 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 TFLs, 1 BRUP game versus Berlin in Week 3
Case for:
While Jadrian Clark grabs the spotlight for the Nordic Storm, the man doing all the dirty work is Max Parkinson. Currently second in sacks, Parkinson’s stat line reads like that of a true Swiss Army knife: sacks, pass deflections, forced fumbles, third-down stops—you name it, he’s delivered. He does everything asked of him, and then some. He’s been the heartbeat of the Storm defense and a relentless playmaker week in and week out.
Case against:
Parkinson faces the same unfair criticism as Clark: strength of schedule. His dominance has largely come against struggling teams like Wroclaw, Berlin, and Helvetic. The big question is: how will he perform against a top-tier opponent like Rhein—or in a playoff atmosphere? That part remains unanswered. It’s not a knock on his talent, but when discussing value, you have to ask: would the Storm still have won these games with a replacement? Given the level of competition, the answer might be yes.
Willie “Pushin’ P” Patterson
Team Record: 4-2
Stats: 5 rec TDs, 3 rush TDs, 2 PR TDs (1st), 751 total yards
Marquee performance: 5 TD game against Wroclaw in Week 4
Case for:
If you want to win, put Willie in! That’s been the Lions’ motto all season. After underutilizing his game-breaking speed and agility in Week 1, every game since has been the Willie Patterson show. He can score in multiple ways—on the ground, through the air, or even on special teams. Every coach facing Prague has the same game plan: try to stop Patterson.
Case against:
My critique of Patterson mirrors the one I have for Frecha. The only true top-tier team Prague has faced so far is Vienna, and Patterson was largely neutralized in that game. I’ll cut some slack since it was the season opener and Prague was still finding its rhythm. The offense didn’t focus on Patterson like it has in recent weeks. He’ll need a big performance in the upcoming rematch against the Vikings to strengthen his MVP case.
The Best is Yet to Come!
The race for MVP is far from decided, and that’s what makes this season so exciting. Whether it’s a proven star or a dark horse galloping in, these players are shaping the story of the 2025 ELF in real time. Keep watching, because the second half promises even bigger moments—and the chance for someone to make a run that no one saw coming. For now, this list lays out the top contenders, but ultimately, it’s up to the players and their performance to decide who takes home the crown.
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