A challenging year for Hamburg Sea Devils

The Hamburg Sea Devils once again went through a difficult year in the European League of Football. With a final record of 3-9, they missed the playoffs for the third straight season, a clear difference to their early years in the league when they reached the Championship Game in both 2021 and 2022.

The season began with promise. After a narrow Week 1 loss to the Madrid Bravos, Hamburg won two of their next three games and stood at 2-2 after four weeks, before familiar weaknesses returned. Hamburg's defense against the run ranked among the best in the ELF, allowing just 1.430 rushing yards across the season. The team's biggest defensive issue was passing coverage: opponents gained 3.391 receiving yards, the highest total allowed in the league. On offense, the Sea Devils managed a middle-of-the-pack rushing attack with 1.727 yards, but their passing game was among the least effective in the league, producing only 1.762 yards.

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Instability at quarterback impacts team performance

The quarterback position became the defining problem of Hamburg's season. Starter Micah Leon was injured in the opening game and immediately sidelined, forcing homegrown backup Moritz Maack into action in Week 2. Afterwards Hamburg signed the promising American quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, who started in Weeks 3 and 4. However, his time with the Sea Devils ended after a short period, as his separation from the franchise was announced only hours before the Week 5 game, leaving Maack to step in again on short notice.

Leon returned in Week 7 and provided some stability, but he suffered another injury in Week 10. To replace him, Hamburg signed Jaylen Tregle, yet his debut against Stuttgart in Week 11 ended with a significant shoulder injury that placed him on injured reserve. With no rhythm under center, the offense lacked balance and consistency. In the final weeks, Carlton Aiken took over and delivered solid performances under difficult circumstances, offering at least a glimpse of stability at the position.

Positive takeaways from 2025

Despite the team's struggles, there were clear positives. The run defense remained solid, and the rushing attack showed some consistency. On top of that, individual performers stood out: Jamie Riedel, Chrisman Kyei, Nazir Streater, and Kyle Kitchens delivered performances worthy of award nominations, showing that there is talent on the roster the Sea Devils can build around. 

The season closed with a win over Berlin Thunder, but the victory came too late to improve a campaign marked by a seven-game losing streak. More worrying is the long-term development: previously among the league’s top teams, Hamburg has now gone three years without a playoff berth.

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Key questions for 2026

Looking ahead to 2026, the central questions are clear. Can the Sea Devils stabilize the quarterback position, improve their pass defense, and – perhaps most crucially – keep key performers such as Riedel, Kyei, Streater, and Kitchens? Unless those issues are addressed, the risk remains that Hamburg will fall further from the heights they once reached in the first years of the European League of Football.