MMQB: 5 unconventional midseason awards

Pat Steinberg

CFL.ca

@Fan960Steinberg

It’s that time of year.

When Friday Night Football wraps up in Winnipeg this weekend, we’ll officially be midway through the 2026 season. And that means it’s time to get started on our midseason awards, which is something we’ll focus on over the next couple of weeks.

Next week we’ll focus on traditional individual awards at the midway mark and compare them against our preseason picks. This week, however, we have five other awards to focus in on.

BIGGEST CONFIRMATION

MONTREAL ALOUETTES

When a team goes on a late-season run to the Grey Cup like Montreal did last year, there’s always going to be that question about following it up. Well, after a Week 10 statement win over Edmonton, the Alouettes now sit first overall at 8-1. I think that puts to bed any questions surrounding Montreal being a flash in the pan.

I get it if you had questions entering this season, though. Remember, the Als entered the final third of last season at 5-7 with a playoff spot anything but a sure thing. They then proceeded to win seven of their next eight, including two playoff games, to earn a spot in the 112^th Grey Cup. Lightning in a bottle like that can be hard to carry over from one season to the next.

That hasn’t been a problem for Montreal. Davis Alexander is this season’s George Reed Most Outstanding Player frontrunner, at least from this vantage point. Tyson Philpot leads the league with 1,154 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. And on defence, despite not having any one individual leading in a specific category, the Als have proven to be one of the league’s stingiest groups.

Elite team confirmed.

BEST PERFORMANCE ON A NEW TEAM

AUSTIN MACK | EDMONTON ELKS

Three days. That’s how long star receiver Austin Mack was out of work after being released by Montreal in late January. His new landing spot with the Elks, and subsequent reunion with old running mate Cody Fajardo, has met (and almost certainly exceeded) any expectations.

Entering Week 11, Mack sits third overall with 766 receiving yards and tied for second with six receiving touchdowns. The built-in familiarity with quarterback Fajardo was evident almost immediately and has only grown from there. Since Week 5, Mack is averaging 5.8 receptions, 8.5 targets, and 105.7 yards per game.

BIGGEST OUT-OF-NOWHERE SPLASH

ZANDER HORVATH | BC LIONS

Pop quiz: what tailback leads the league in total touchdowns approaching the midway mark?

I’m not sure a lot of people would have had Zander Horvath on their bingo card had I asked them to answer that question back in May. But after adding two more touchdowns in BC’s 27-24 win over the Tiger-Cats on Saturday, Horvath is indeed your answer.

Horvath is tied for top spot amongst running backs with seven rushing touchdowns. That total rises to 10 when you add in Horvath’s three receiving touchdowns, which is more than any other CFL tailback. After recording only 26 touches last year, Horvath has exploded in his sophomore campaign. He’s also given the Lions a dangerous tailback tandem alongside James Butler, who returned over the weekend.

BIGGEST SURPRISE TEAM

EDMONTON ELKS

Edmonton entered 2026 with a clear goal: return to the playoffs for the first time since 2019. And even after a 48-30 loss to Montreal on Saturday afternoon, the Elks have put themselves in a great spot to do just that.

At 6-3, Edmonton sits second in the West Division and have racked up quality wins over the Alouettes, Roughriders, and Blue Bombers along the way. Fajardo and tailback Justin Rankin are both in legitimate MOP conversation. Newcomers Mack and Malik Carney have fit like gloves. And this team has taken on a confidence and swagger that starts from second year head coach Mark Kilam and filters on down.

I thought the Elks were going to be more of a factor this year after some of the steps they took last season. But I didn’t see them clearly belonging in the league’s top tier right out of the gate, which is exactly where they are. And Edmonton deserves a ton of credit for it.

BIGGEST COMING OUT PARTY

TRAVIS THEIS | MONTREAL ALOUETTES

Travis Theis showed flashes in limited work last season with 365 rushing yards on 70 carries. But Montreal’s super sophomore running back has exploded in 2026, especially since moving to the top of the depth chart in Week 2. Since then, Theis is averaging 16.4 touches and 109.3 yards from scrimmage per game.

Overall, Theis now sits second overall with 700 rushing yards to go along with 182 receiving yards and six touchdowns. The Alouettes already boast a deadly passing attack, but the emergence of Theis has made them perhaps the CFL’s most balanced offence.

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