Germany: Berlin Adler re-sign QB Zachary Cavanaugh for 2023 season

The Berlin Adler of the German Football League have re-signed quarterback Zachary Cavanaugh for the 2023 season.

This will be Cavanaugh’s fifth straight season with the Adler.

The veteran signal caller has helped the Adler regain playoff relevance in 2022 in their first year back in the nation’s top league after spending three seasons in the lower levels.

The 36-year-old was the main reason behind the club’s success this year, performing as one of the league’s best quarterbacks in the fourth best offense in the GFL. Cavanaugh threw for 2,980 yards (league-high 348.5 yards/game) and 27 touchdowns while rushing for a team-best 505 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.

For the 2022 season, thanks to his leadership and play, the Adler finished in fourth place in the North, qualifying for the playoffs after knocking off the defending German Bowl champion Dresden Monarchs in the final regular season game of the year.

Unfortunately for them, they lost to the eventual champions in the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns 35-21 in the quarterfinals.

The 6’2″, 185-pound Cavanaugh from Marshfield, Massachusetts, finished his college career with the Curry College Colonels (NCAA Div. III) in Milton, Massachusetts.

This will be his 10th season playing in Europe. He started with the Cottbus Crayfish (2012-13) and Troisdorf Jets (2014) in the third division before moving to the Paderborn Dolphins (2015) in the GFL2 and then the Hildesheim Invaders (2016-17) who he helped advance to the GFL. In 2018, he moved to the Ljubljana Silverhawks in the Austrian Football League earning league MVP honors after throwing for 3,259 yards and 33 touchdowns.

Cavanaugh is also the head coach of the Berlin Adler GFL Junior team serving as offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, and special teams coordinator. He guided the young Adler squad to the GFL Junior North division title in both 2019 and 2021.