CFL award rankings: Rourke's injury shakes up 2 races, East contenders emerge

It's almost Labor Day, which means we're nearing the home stretch of the CFL season. And while the West Division remains elite, some excellent individual seasons are finally coming together out east.

Now that 12 weeks have passed, here's a look at where the races stand for three of the most important CFL awards. While both the East and West Divisions will have a finalist for each of these honors in November, our rankings look at the league as a whole.

Outstanding Defensive Player

3. Pete Robertson, Roughriders

Despite missing four games with a foot injury, the Texas Tech product's eight sacks continue to lead the league (he's now tied with Ottawa's Lorenzo Mauldin IV), and he's also forced three fumbles. His impact on the Riders' defense cannot be overstated: after giving up just 99 points over the first five weeks, Saskatchewan allowed 127 in the four games Robertson was out. As long as his health permits, Robertson should remain in contention for this honor down the stretch.

2. Wynton McManis, Argonauts

In his first season with the Double Blue, McManis has broken out as both a team leader and an absolute force on defense, with a league-leading 69 defensive tackles. The 27-year-old has spread the wealth, notching double-digit tackles in a league-best three contests (including a single-game high 11 on Friday), and has tallied at least five tackles in all but two of the Argos' 10 games. Add in three sacks and a pick-6, and you have an all-around defensive threat who's quickly moving toward securing the East's Outstanding Defensive Player nomination.

1. Larry Dean, Roughriders

What a comeback season it's been for Dean, who missed all of 2021 with a torn Achilles. The Tifton, Georgia, native hasn't missed a beat, tallying 68 defensive tackles (plus another four on special teams), along with three sacks, two interceptions, and a pair of forced fumbles. He's on pace for his second career 100-tackle season and potentially his first league-wide All-Star nod. Dean was the East nominee for this award in 2018 but lost to Adam Bighill. This may finally be his year.

Outstanding Canadian

3. Kian Schaffer-Baker, Roughriders

Schaffer-Baker's breakout campaign has continued on amid all the quarterback questions in Regina. He leads Canadian receivers in most categories, including receiving yards (614), touchdowns (4), and yards after catch (309). The Guelph product's explosiveness out of the right-side slotback position makes him a constant threat inside a talented Saskatchewan receiving corps, as evidenced by his 85-yard touchdown reception on Friday. He should continue to grow in the Riders' offense down the stretch of this season.

2. Cameron Judge, Stampeders

Judge has been everything the Stampeders could have hoped for. The Montreal native's 51 defensive tackles lead all Canadian defenders, and he's thrown in a pair of sacks, an interception, and three fumble recoveries - including a 63-yard touchdown return - for good measure. The Stampeders' defense has been inconsistent at times, but Judge has been a steady anchor who can be counted on every week. With the door possibly open for another Canadian to grab the West Division nomination, don't be surprised to see Judge up for this honor in November.

1. Nathan Rourke, Lions

Were you expecting someone else? Before going down with a potentially season-ending foot injury in Week 11, Rourke - the best Canadian quarterback to come along in multiple generations - was electrifying the CFL. The Victoria native set records left and right, including setting the Canadian single-game passing mark three different times, and he still leads the league in almost every statistical category. Whether he'll end up taking this award home is now in question because of the unfortunate injury, but even if he doesn't play another down this year there's a chance he may already have locked up the Most Outstanding Canadian award.

Most Outstanding Player

5. Larry Dean, Roughriders

Our pick for Outstanding Defensive Player gets a nod in the MOP rankings. Dean's been indispensable for the Roughriders, especially while they were missing Robertson. Whether he's on defense or special teams - where he has another four tackles - opposing teams have to make sure they know where Dean is lurking. On a team with several defensive stars, Dean really stands out, and that's why he's here.

4. Eugene Lewis, Alouettes

The Alouettes' offense is averaging just 7.2 points per game with just 12 passing touchdowns all season. Lewis, a shining light the midst of Montreal's offensive woes, has caught three of those 12 TDs. He's also tied for second in receiving yards, tied for second in receptions, and has six receptions of 30-plus yards. The 29-year-old has also tallied four 100-yard games, and nearly did it again in Week 11 when he hauled in 99 yards. Lewis probably isn't going to win, but he's been the East Division's best receiver by a wide margin. That could be enough to ensure he gets the East's MOP nomination in November.

3. Dominique Rhymes, Lions

The Lions have blessed their quarterbacks with a fantastic group of receivers, and this year Rhymes is standing out amongst that crowd. Rhymes, one of four CFL receivers with 800-plus yards this year, leads the league in both receiving yards and touchdowns, and sits third in receptions. He's closing in on his second 1,000-yard campaign, and should easily set career highs in both yards and TDs. This is even more impressive when you consider that Rhymes' 77 targets rank sixth in the CFL, and second on his own team. It seems fairly obvious that he won't be the Lions' MOP nominee, but Rhymes' fantastic campaign can't be overlooked.

2. Nathan Rourke, Lions

Even if he does come back, the injury has likely dimmed Rourke's hopes of winning the MOP. That he's still ranked No. 2 here should tell you just how great he's been. So let's step back and appreciate Rourke for a moment. The 24-year-old needed just nine games to pass the 3,000-yard mark, and eight games to throw for 20 touchdowns, with just 10 picks and a 78.8% completion rate. With good health, he likely would have thrown for at least 5,000 yards, and might have even made a run at Doug Flutie's single-season passing and TD records. Lest we forget, his 304 rushing yards still rank eighth. It's an absolute shame that this injury happened and he won't get to see this season through. Although it won't happen this year, it's only a matter of time before Rourke takes home a MOP.

1. Zach Collaros, Blue Bombers

Rourke's injury opened the door for someone else to win this award, and Collaros is quickly slamming it shut again. The reigning MOP is the only other quarterback with 20 touchdown passes and is on pace for a new career high in that category. He also ranks third in passing yards, has completed over 70% of his passes, and is one of only two quarterbacks (minimum six games played) with an efficiency rating better than 100. Collaros remains the heartbeat of the Blue Bombers' offense, engineering their remarkable 10-1 start as they continue to dominate the CFL and push for a third straight Grey Cup. Now, he's also in prime position to become the league's first back-to-back MOP since Anthony Calvillo.