Zach Edwards has played his final game, bringing an eventful career in European football to a close after the Paris Musketeers’ 45-6 loss to the Nordic Storm in the EFA BIG4 semifinals in Frankfurt.
The 32-year-old quarterback revealed his decision immediately afterward when asked about what he and Paris needed to improve next season.
“For me, that’s it. I’m retiring. I’ve had a great time in Europe and enjoyed every second of it. Obviously, it’s tough to go out this way. But I wouldn’t want to end my career with any other team. I’m proud to be a Paris Musketeer. But this is the end of my football journey.”
One last run with Paris
Edwards returned to the Musketeers in 2026 after spending a year away from the field to spend more time with family and friends in Minnesota. During that break, he stayed close to football as a high school offensive coordinator and quarterback coach.
Back in Paris, Edwards quickly showed he could still produce. He threw for 2,147 yards and 18 touchdowns during the regular season while adding 389 yards and three scores on the ground.
From Barcelona to Paris
The St. Paul, Minnesota, native first made his mark in Europe with the L’Hospitalet Pioners, leading the Barcelona-based club to a 6-0 regular season and championship in 2021.
He then spent the first two ELF seasons with the Barcelona Dragons, throwing for 5,839 yards and 57 touchdowns while rushing for another 797 yards and seven scores. After the Dragons finished 3-7 in his first year, Edwards helped drive them to an 8-4 record and a semifinal berth the following season.
Before Europe, Edwards rewrote the record book at St. Scholastica College, throwing for a school-record 9,024 yards and 90 touchdowns in 36 games. He earned three straight all-conference selections and was named MVP of the 2019 FCS Bowl.
A difficult final season
Edwards entered 2026 closing in on 12,000 career passing yards in Europe and quickly crossed that mark, but his final season became a frustrating one.
The Musketeers opened 3-1 before dropping five straight, leaving Paris fighting simply to stay alive. With their season on the line, they finally stopped the slide with a 33-12 win over the Raiders Tirol, grabbing the fourth and final BIG4 berth.
The semifinal offered Paris one last chance to turn a difficult season into something memorable. The Musketeers pulled within 7-6 early against the Nordic Storm, but from there the game got away from them. The Storm scored the final 38 points and rolled to a 45-6 victory in Frankfurt, bringing both the Musketeers’ season and Edwards’ playing career to an end.
For Edwards, it was a tough way to finish. But after years of production in Barcelona and Paris, his final afternoon represents only a small piece of a much longer story.