The CFL is entering Week 11, marking the official midway point of the 2024 season.
It’s been an electrifying campaign thus far full of brilliant performances, fantastic finishes, and classic comebacks. But while Grey Cup hardware is the only thing that teams care about, it isn’t the only trophy up for grabs.
We’ve polled nine of our contributors to see who has the halftime lead in the race for all seven of the league’s major awards. Some were slam dunk picks, others were contentious debates, but all are deserving selections.
Here are 3DownNation’s mid-season CFL award winners.
Most Outstanding Player: QB Vernon Adams Jr., B.C. Lions
It’s been a rough couple of weeks for Big Play VA, as he was injured coming off the back of two lacklustre performances and has now been replaced by Canadian wunderkind Nathan Rourke. That doesn’t erase just how special his play was through the first half of the year, as he threw for 2,469 yards, 14 touchdowns, and just six picks in eight starts. Watching the Lions struggle without Adams hot hand proved his value, as no QB this year has more victories (5) or more 300 yards games (5).
Runners-up: HB Rolan Milligan Jr., SSK | REC Justin McInnis, BC
Most Outstanding Defensive Player: HB Rolan Milligan Jr., Saskatchewan Roughriders
Our second-place finisher for M.O.P. was also a unanimous selection as the top defensive player in the league, as Milligan has been unstoppable in 2024. Not only is the Riders’ boundary halfback the league-leader in interceptions with six and pass knockdowns with 10, his 73 total defensive plays are good for second in the CFL despite playing a position that rarely has gaudy statistics. Jovon Johnson remains the only defensive back to win this award back in 2011 but he could soon have some company.
Runners-up: WLB Tyrice Beverette, MTL | SLB Adarius Pickett, OTT
Most Outstanding Canadian: REC Justin McInnis, B.C. Lions
Labelled a draft bust after his time in Saskatchewan, McInnis has found his long, lumbering stride in B.C. and is now the CFL’s leading receiver. With 51 receptions for 834 yards and six touchdowns, he’s on pace to break Terry Evanshen’s single-season receiving yards record for a Canadian set back in 1967. With two elite QBs throwing him the ball and fellow homegrown receiving phenom Tyson Philpot expected to miss time with injury, ‘Moose’ could run away with his statistical category.
Runners-up: REC Tyson Philpot, MTL | CB Tyrell Ford, WPG
Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman: LG Pier-Olivier Lestage, Montreal Alouettes
When he was taken in the second round of the 2021 CFL Draft, there was a belief that Lestage’s athleticism would make him one of the league’s elite if he ever returned from the NFL. He’s proven that to be true in just three seasons since coming home to Montreal and he leads an Alouettes line that ranks third in yards per rush (5.2) and sacks allowed (16). He’ll need to keep that up and overcome some heavy tackle bias to become the first guard to win this award since Brendon LaBatte in 2013.
Runners-up: RT Dejon Allen, TOR | LT Nick Callender, MTL
Most Outstanding Rookie: REC Shemar Bridges, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
This year’s rookie receiver crop is truly something to behold and there are legitimate cases to be made for several pass catchers in voting for this award. Bridges edged out his classmates in the mid-terms by the narrowest of margins, outgaining Ontaria Wilson by 54 yards for a total of 629 through nine games. That puts the Fort Valley State product fifth in the CFL, while his 74 target and 56 receptions trail only McInnis and Philpot respectively. He’s hauled in an impressive 75.7 percent of the balls thrown his way and tops the charts with 24 second-down conversions.
Runners-up: REC Ontaria Wilson, WPG | REC Kalil Pimpleton, OTT
Most Outstanding Special Teams Player: KR Janarion Grant, Toronto Argonauts
No award was easier to hand out than this one, as Grant has quite literally run away with the votes. After being cast aside by Winnipeg this offseason, the 30-year-old has exploded for four return touchdowns in the first half of the season and would move into the top three all-time with just one more. His leading the CFL with 16.4 yards per punt return, second with 26.8 yards per kick-off return, and has is tops with seven big-play returns to boot.
Runners-up: K Sean Whyte, BC | K Rene Paredes, CGY
Coach of the Year: Jason Maas, Montreal Alouettes
Coaches always seem to get this award one year too late and Maas probably deserved it as much as anyone last year for leading a team projected to finish last in every preseason ranking to a Grey Cup victory. Fortunately for him, that success has only snowballed in the months since and Montreal is far-and-away the best team in the CFL right now. Just like Dinwiddie and O’Shea before him, he could take home hardware the year after winning the title.
Runners-up: Corey Mace, SSK | Bob Dyce, OTT
