Midseason review: Top 5 storylines so far
Alex Malchow
Seven thrilling weeks of ELF football are behind us as the 2025 regular season is now officially halfway through.
From nail-biting finishes to jaw dropping plays, this year’s teams have raised the bar for the league’s fifth season as the second half of the regular season and playoffs are sure to have fans on the edge of their seats.
Going beyond the highlights and boxscores, let’s take a look at the top 5 storylines that pain a picture of the first half of the season.
5: The Rhein Fire’s three-peat chances flicker?
After two straight championships the Rhein Fire entered 2025 in a new era, as MVP quarterback Jadrian Clark and MVP running back Glen Toonga left the team in the off-season. Head coach Jim Tomsula was unable to join the team this season due to family issues, leaving some doubt to the Rhein Fire chances of a historic three-peat.
So far, the Fire are still burning at 4-2 and could still get hot in the postseason and make history. However, tough losses to the Vienna Vikings and Paris Musketeers have certainly created doubt for the once unquestioned league’s best.
4: Jack Del Rio’s defense leads Paris Musketeers
Former NFL head coach Jack Del Rio made international headlines this off-season when he chose to join the ELF. So far this season Paris sits at 4-2 with one of the league’s best defenses. Del Rio has been able to use talent such as Souleymane Karamoko, Aslan Zetterberg, and others to earn build one of the scariest defenses in the league.
With quality wins over Stuttgart and the Rhein Fire, people are starting to ask if Paris are real championship contenders.
3) A red-hot playoff race awaits
This year’s ELF playoffs will likely feature the best field of teams yet in the league’s history. Currently there are 9 teams still mathematically eligible for the playoffs.
Vienna (5-1) currently holds the top seed, followed by the Munich Ravens (5-1). The third seed currently is the Nordic Storm (5-0) whose “Strength of Victory” is lower than the aforementioned teams.
The fourth seed belongs to the Paris Musketeers (4-2) while the 5th and 6th seed go to the Rhein Fire (4-2) and Stuttgart Surge (4-2).
In the hunt are several other teams such as the 4-2 Prague Lions and Madrid Bravos. At 4-3 the Raider Tirol are still hoping for the post season along with the 3-3 Wroclaw Panthers. Read more about the playoff picture here.
2: The Prague Lions roaring turnaround
The Prague Lions won only two games in two seasons prior to this season. This year through the halfway point they already have 4 wins, with quality victories over the Galaxy in Frankfurt and the Panthers in Wroclaw.
Head coach Dave Warner has shown put together an remarkable turnaround that the league hasn’t seen since the Stuttgart Surge went from 0-12 to the Championship game in 2023. How much longer can the Cinderella Story of the Lions last?
1: The Nordic Storm blow over expectations
The expansion Nordic Storm have come through the ELF like a Hurricane so far with a 5-0 start to their first ever season. The league’s newest team has impressed to say the least, especially when factoring in the fact that the team lost 2024 MVP Glen Toonga to a season ending injury in week one.
However, quarterback Jadrian Clark and an impressive group of imports and homegrowns have gelled quickly, as the Storm look to hoist the trophy in their first ever year of play.
Watch all the games on DAZN