Rhein Fire (ELF)

Lore & Background

The Rhein Fire were announced on 25 September 2021 as the third expansion team and 11th overall in the European League of Football, beginning play in the 2022 season. The team secured the naming rights from the NFL, reviving the identity of the former NFL Europe franchise. Former NFL Europe Rhein Fire head coach Jim Tomsula was named the first head coach of the new ELF team. In their inaugural 2022 season, the Fire finished with a 7–5 record, second in the Southern Conference and one game out of a Wildcard spot.

In 2023, the Fire achieved a perfect 12–0 regular season, becoming the first team in ELF history to do so, and defeated the Stuttgart Surge 53–34 in the ELF Championship Game. Quarterback Jadrian Clark was named Most Valuable Player of both the regular season and the championship game. The Fire repeated as champions in 2024, beating the undefeated Vienna Vikings 51–20, with Jadrian Clark winning his second championship game MVP and running back Glen Toonga earning regular season MVP honors.

Following the 2024 season, Clark, Toonga, and quarterbacks coach John Shoop departed for the expansion Nordic Storm. Jim Tomsula announced he would not return for the 2025 season, citing personal needs. As of early 2025, the 2025 season has not yet taken place.

Reader's Guide

The Rhein Fire's significance lies in their dominant run in the European League of Football, where they set a new standard by achieving the league's first perfect regular season in 2023 and winning consecutive championships in 2023 and 2024. Their success under head coach Jim Tomsula, who had previously coached the NFL Europe version of the team, helped solidify the ELF's credibility and popularity in Germany. The team's ability to attract and develop talent like quarterback Jadrian Clark and running back Glen Toonga, both of whom earned league MVP honors, demonstrated the growing competitiveness of European American football. The Fire's departure from the ELF after the 2025 season, following the departure of key players and coaches, and their subsequent move to the newly formed American Football League Europe (AFLE) in 2026, marked a significant shift in the landscape of professional American football in Europe. Their legacy includes being the first ELF team to go undefeated in the regular season and the first to win back-to-back titles, achievements that remain benchmarks in the league's history.

Did You Know?

• The Rhein Fire were the first team in ELF history to finish a regular season with a perfect 12–0 record.
• Quarterback Jadrian Clark was named MVP of both the regular season and championship game in 2023, and again won championship game MVP in 2024.
• Head coach Jim Tomsula had previously coached the NFL Europe version of the Rhein Fire before leading the ELF team.
• The Fire's first postseason loss in franchise history came in the 2025 Wildcard round against the Nordic Storm.