Over 160 days have passed since 2026 NWSL Free Agency opened up on July 1st, and players were free to begin negotiations and sign with other clubs. This was the first time where free agents were able to start negotiations this early in the year. Clubs were required to exercise their side of options ahead of the June 30th 12pm EST deadline. Here’s a breakdown of how 2026 free agency has gone so far:

Before the NWSL Championship

Looking just at the period of time from July 1st to November 22nd (the NWSL Championship),  there were 27 free agents signed, 24 of which went to the same team. 

Chloe Ricketts became the first player to sign with a new club while the regular season was still going when it was announced October 1st that she had signed with Boston FC for the upcoming season, and simultaneously her current team Washington traded her to Houston for $15k in intra-league transfer funds for the remainder of the 2025 season. 

The other two players were both defenders being signed to expansion-side Denver, but neither players’ 2025 clubs made the playoffs and the announcements were more than a week after the regular season ended. 

After the NWSL Championship

Since the 2025 season came completely to a close on November 22nd, there have been 21 free agents signed, and almost half of those were players signing to new clubs. Even more interesting is that of the 10 switches, only two have been to expansion clubs, and eight are amongst the other 14 teams in the league. 

Overall Trends

In total, 48 free agents have signed with clubs, and 10 players have announced their retirements. 

Below is just diving into free agency, but it’s important to keep in mind that some teams were really active before July in re-signing players, and also there are other mechanisms available to add players. 

Of the 16 clubs playing in 2026, only 13 have been active in free agency thus far with Angel City, San Diego, and Washington being the only teams to not have any announced yet. Unsurprisingly, Denver, as an expansion club, is leading the charge in free agents signed to a new club.  

When looking at the length of the contracts thus far, the distribution is spread fairly evenly until you get to three years with an option year. Splitting up the option years even further, of the 12, 10 are mutual options, 2 are club options, and only 1 is a player option. 

Splitting down the 48 into position, midfielders have had the most signings but when you compare the signings against the total number of players entering free agency in that position, defenders have actually been the most active, with almost half already signed for 2026. 

Looking Forward

There are 71 free agents still unsigned for 2026, and although there is only 5-6 weeks until players show up for preseason, there is a lot of time left for the chaos—especially since both expansion sides are actively teambuilding (Boston - 11 players, Denver - 7 players). 

The two big questions for the rest of the offseason are: will Sophia Wilson execute her player option in Portland or go test free agency as she makes her way back from maternity leave and will the NWSLPA’s grievance to the league on behalf of Trinity Rodman end up with her staying in Washington (and the NWSL). 

Keep up with all the free agency movement here

Spotrac's NFL Incentive Tracker

Buffalo Bills

WR Khalil Shakir is 1 receiving TD away from a $150k bonus.

TE Dawson Knox is 5 catches away from a $100k bonus.

DL Daquan Jones has already vested $250k with 3 sacks. 1 more doubles it.

ED Joey Bosa is 1 sack away from a $250k bonus.

Carolina Panthers

RB Rico Dowdle has already vested $1.75M of incentives. He's 167 scrimmage yards away from $1M more. He's also 2 TDs away from an additional $250k

CB Michael Jackson remains 1 INT away from vesting a $500k bonus.

Cincinnati Bengals

LB Joseph Ossai remains 1 sack away from a $250k bonus. The 25-year-old is having a career year, and could be in line to double his current $6.5M APY this offseason.

Dallas Cowboys

DE Jadeveon Clowney is 2 sacks away from a $250k bonus.

RB Javonte Williams is 100 scrimmage yards away from a $250k bonus. He's also 1 TD away from another $250k.

Green Bay Packers

CB Keisean Nixon is just 1 INT away from a $50k bonus.

Kansas City Chiefs

DE George Karlaftis needs 2 sacks to secure a $250k bonus.

WR Hollywood Brown needs just 6 receiving yards to vest a $500k bonus. 1 more TD means another $250k.

RB Kareem Hunt has already earned a $100k bonus. He's 91 scrimmage yards away from an extra $25k.

Los Angeles Chargers

WR Keenan Allen is approaching another $750,000 of incentives. He needs:
8 Receptions: $250k
106 Rec. Yards: $250k
2 TDs: $250k

New England Patriots

WR Stefon Diggs is approaching $1M of incentives. He needs:
6 Receptions: $500k
295 Rec. Yards: $500k

TE Hunter Henry needs 5 catches to secure a $250k bonus.

WR Mack Hollins has already vested $300k of incentives. He can double that w/ 5 more catches.

New Orleans Saints

TE Juwan Johnson needs 2 catches to secure a $125k bonus. He's also 86 receiving yards away from $125k more.

With 6.5 sacks, DE Cameron Jordan has already vested $600k. A half sack more adds $400k to that.

Philadelphia Eagles

RB Saquon Barkley needs 379 scrimmage yards to vest a $250,000 bonus.

Seattle Seahawks

QB Sam Darnold has a chance to max out his $2.5M of regular season incentives.
100+ Passer Rating: $500k
67.5% Completion: $500k
28 Pass TD: $500k
4,000 Pass YD: $500k
70% Playing Time: $500k

Darnold is 6 Pass TD, & 838 Pass YD shy currently.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Lavonte David is a half sack shy of a $200,000 bonus

Washington Commanders

WR Deebo Samuel is 139 receiving yards shy of a $250,000 bonus, and 8 catches away from another $200k.

OLB Von Miller is 1 sack shy of a $500k bonus.

DE Jacob Martin is a half sack away from a $125k bonus.

It's becoming an annual tradition like no other, as the Dodgers spun the MLB offseason into a tizzy when they announced a 3 year, $69 million free agent contract with RP Edwin Diaz. Diaz opted-out of a 3 year, $54.25 million remaining contract with the Mets this past November, sending him into the open market for the first time in his career.

The contract comes with a base average salary of $23M, the largest for a reliever in MLB history (Edwin Diaz, $20.4M on his previous contract). However, Diaz agreed to defer $4.5M of annual salary, which is expected to lower the present day tax salary down to around $21.1M. Full details on the deferred compensation will be available on Spotrac asap.

Assuming that $21M+ tax hit, the Dodgers now project toward a $342M CBT payroll heading into the season, by far the most in MLB, and nearly $100M over the  $244M initial threshold.

Diaz was tendered a Qualifying Offer by the Mets last month, who will now pick up a compensatory draft pick after the 4th round in losing their long-time closer. On the flip side, the Dodgers will now forfeit their 2nd and 5th highest draft picks, plus $1M of international bonus pool space.

Diaz spent 7 seasons with the Mets, who acquired the closer from Seattle in December of 2018 as a part of a 7-player trade that included NY taking on the remainder of Robinson Cano's contract, in exchange for hefty prospects Jarred Kelenic and Justin Dunn. 

He joins the Dodgers coming off of a 28 save season, where he posted 98 strikeouts in 66 innings.

DH Kyle Schwarber has agreed to return to the Philadelphia Phillies on a 5 year, $150 million free agent contract. The 32-year-old is scheduled to earn an even $30M each of the next five seasons, which represents the highest average annual salary for a primary DH in MLB history.

The $30M tax salary associated with the deal now ranks 2nd on the Phillies books (Wheeler, $42M), and it represents the 6th at or above the $20M threshold. Philly is now projected to carry a tax payroll north of $290M into the 2026 season, around $46M over the initial tax threshold. They were tax-payers in 2025 as well.

Schwarber just completed a 4 year, $79 million contract in Philly that paid him $20M in each of the past three seasons. He repaid the Phillies with 187 home runs over the life of that deal, 2nd only to Aaron Judge (210) across that timespan, and tied with Shohei Ohtani. The 2025 campaign was a career-best in almost every major statistical category, including 56 HR, and 132 RBIs.

Schwarber is now under contract through 2030, his age-37 season.

It’s honestly quite difficult to come up with any words to summarize how impressive of an inaugural season it was for San Diego FC.

This season, the squad finished 1st in the Western Conference & fell in the Conference Finals of MLS Cup Playoffs after a 3-1 defeat to Vancouver WhiteCaps FC.

Taking a glance at the overall season, San Diego FC went 7-5-5 at home & 12-4-1 on the road. They scored 64 goals and allowed 41 goals in their first season in MLS.

With their roster decisions published, San Diego FC will have a high amount of roster flexibility.

The biggest questions for this group are: Will Hirving “Chucky” Lozano return to the club? How can this club make improvements to an already talented roster? Who do they really lose this offseason? Where are their positional needs?

In the offseason guide:

The Positives

Talk about a debut season for winger Anders Dreyer. The 27-year-old forward had an astonishing 38 goal contributions (19  goals & 19 assists) in 34 regular season games this season. It’s no shock that the DP forward was in contention for MLS MVP the entire season & won MLS Newcomer of the Year.

San Diego had the 4th best offense & 4th best defense in the league. Scoring 64 goals, their offense was threatening all season. Additionally, only allowing only 41 goals on the year, their back line was impenetrable.

San Diego had fifteen different goalscorers this season, with SEVEN of those players with 3+ goals (Dreyer, Iloski, Lozano, de la Torre, Valakari, Angel, & Pellegrino).

The Negatives

San Diego FC were quite honestly dominated in the MLS Western Conference Finals.

The club fell 3-1 versus Vancouver WhiteCaps FC. The match was all-over the place, where it featured an own-goal (in the 11th minute) & eventual red card (in the 79th minute) by goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega. 

San Diego FC was another team that failed to make it out of the group stage in the Leagues Cup this season. The club had 1 win & 2 losses in Leagues Cup after losing 3-2 versus Pachuca, losing 2-1 to Tigres, & winning 2-0 over 10-men Mazatlan.

What went wrong with Milan Iloski? The 26-year-old midfielder was on fire to start the season with San Diego (11 goal contributions - 10 goals & 1 assist in 14 games [472 minutes]) & then had his loan terminated in July so that he could return to Nordsjælland. The reason for termination was reportedly due to disagreements on contract extensions & figures between the player & the club. Less than two weeks later, Illoski returned to MLS & signed on a permanent deal with the Philadelphia Union (had 2 goals & 5 assists in 9 games with Philadelphia). 

Roster Flexibility

San Diego FC has a large amount of roster flexibility. At the moment, the club has two designated players (Anders Dreyer & Chucky Lozano) and three U-22 initiative signings (Tomas Angel, Heine Gikling Bruseth & Pedro Soma).

This club has the choice on whether it wants to enter the 3DP & 3U22 or 2DP & 4U22 model. In regard to GAM totals, the club has $3,424,625 of GAM (as of Sept. 18, 2025).

The club announced their end-of-season roster update, where they announced most contract option decisions. 

The club is entering the 2026 season with 26 players rostered as of December 9th.

Offseason Priorities

Determine whether or not Designated Player Chucky Lozano is going to return to the club. If not, sign a star caliber player to the roster.

Find a viable replacement for Luca de la Torre in the midfield.

San Diego FC announced its year-end roster decisions which include options exercised, options declined, extensions and contract terminations.

Contract Options Exercised

Pablo Sisniga (GK)
Ian Pilcher (D)
Anibal Godoy (M)

Contract Optioned Declined

Franco Negri (D)

Loan Decisions

Luca De La Torre (M) - purchase option declined, will return to R.C. Celta de Vigo, club remains in discussions over a new deal
Onni Valakari (M) - purchase option exercised, will join SDFC through 2028, option for 2029
Aiden Harangi (D) - loan is expiring, club is in talks with Eintracht Frankfurt to retain the defender

Players Out of Contract

Emmanuel Boateng (M )- in negotiations over return to SDFC
Corey Baird (M) - in negotiations over return to SDFC

Players Under Contract

Goalkeepers: Duran Ferree, CJ Dos Santos, Pablo Sisniega

Defenders: Luca Bombino, Leo Duru, Willy Kumado, Christopher McVey, Paddy McNair, Ian Pilcher, Andrés Reyes, Oscar Verhoeven

Midfielders: Alejandro Alvarado Jr., Heine Bruseth [on loan], Manu Duah, Aníbal Godoy, Pedro Soma, Jeppe Tverskov, Onni Valakari, David Vazquez

Forwards: Tomás Ángel, Anders Dreyer, Marcus Ingvartsen, Hirving “Chucky” Lozano, Alex Mighten, Amahl Pellegrino, Anisse Saidi

Related: 

San Diego FC Multi-Year Outlook

San Diego FC Transactions

With less than 2 months until the 2026 MLS season kicks off, it’s extremely important to showcase the best available free agents entering the 2026 offseason.

As many teams entered their offseason, they announced their end-of-year roster decisions with their mindsets set on improving their rosters ahead of their 2026 campaigns. 

With just one day until the start of MLS Free Agency, here at Spotrac, we’re breaking down the Top 10 available MLS free agents:

A quick caveat: To be eligible for free agency in Major League Soccer (MLS), a player must generally be at least 24-years-old and have completed a minimum of four years of MLS service, typically meaning that their contract has expired or that their team has declined their option at the end of the season. This allows players the ability to negotiate with any MLS team, including their former club, after the league’s designated free agency period opens (which opens Dec. 10, 2025).

The MLS Players Association (MLSPA) compiles and releases the list of eligible players each offseason, as these criteria are automatically met.

This is different from the MLS Re-Entry Draft (which includes players who are at least 22-years-old with one year of MLS service who are out of contract and did not receive a Bona Fide Offer, or whose contract options were not exercised by their clubs. They also can qualify if they meet specific criteria, mainly for older, more experienced players. That process involves two stages, Re-Entry Draft 1 & Re-Entry Draft 2, which allows clubs to claim rights to a player whose contracts have expired or were declined.)

#1: Walker Zimmerman

• Previous Team: Nashville SC
• Position: Defender
• Age: 32
• MLS Stats: 25 goals & 10 assists in 287 regular season appearances (22,874 minutes played). 82% pass accuracy with 239 total fouls. Has 32 yellow cards & 5 red cards
• MLS Individual Honors: 2x U.S. Open Cup Champion (2016, 2025), 2x Supporters’ Shield (2016, 2019), 4x MLS All-Star (2019, 2021, 2022, 2023), 5x MLS Best XI (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023), 2x MLS Defender of the Year (2020, 2021)

The most obvious defensive option is here. Walker Zimmerman is potentially the greatest defender in MLS history. 

The 32-year-old defender was most recently on a Designated Player Contract with Nashville SC.

The players' accolades speak for themselves. Every single team in MLS should be calling to attempt to sign the 5x MLS Best XI defender & 2x MLS Defender of the Year on a TAM level contract. 

 In 2025, he was on a salary of $3,456,979 in guaranteed compensation.

#2: Christian Benteke

• Previous Team: D.C. United
• Position: Forward
• Age: 35
• MLS Stats: 47 goals & 10 assists in 93 regular season appearances (7,830 minutes played). 64% pass accuracy. Has 25 yellow cards & 1 red card.
• MLS individual Honors: 2x MLS All-Star (2023, 2024, 1x MLS Best XI (2024), 1x MLS Golden Boot (2024)

The most obvious attacking threat is here. Christian Benteke is potentially the best aerial presence in MLS history. 

The 35-year-old forward was most recently on a Designated Player Contract with D.C. United. If any team in MLS can secure the former MLS Golden Boot forward on a MAX TAM level contract, they’d be silly not to. 

In 2025, he was on a salary of $4,937,500 in guaranteed compensation.

#3: Dayne St. Clair

• Previous Team: Minnesota United FC
• Position: Goalkeeper
• Age: 28
• MLS Stats: 448 total saves, 37 clean sheets in 174 regular season appearances, 0.700% save percentage with 63% pass accuracy & 82.2% long ball success rate
• MLS Individual Honors: 2x MLS All-Star (2022, 2025), 1x MLS All-Star Game MVP (2022), 1x MLS Best XI (2025), 1x MLS Goalkeeper of the Year (2025)

The 2025 MLS All-Star, 2025 MLS Best XI, and 2025 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year is officially testing the market. 

Dayne St. Clair is coming off one of his best seasons yet and is the best option on the board in terms of shot-stoppers. The 28-year-old goalkeeper has spent his entire MLS professional career with Minnesota United (2019-2025).

In 2025, he was on a salary of $631,875 in guaranteed compensation. It is expected that he will be searching for a contract that is in the seven figures range.

#4: Cristian Espinoza

• Previous Team: San Jose Earthquakes
• Position: Forward
• Age: 30
• MLS Stats: 36 goals & 70 assists in 218 regular season appearances (18,145 minutes played). 79% pass accuracy. Has 37 yellow cards & 4 red cards.
• MLS Individual Honors: 2x MLS All-Star (2023, 2025)

For the first time since 2019, Cristian Espinoza is on the market. 

The 30-year-old forward has quietly been one of the league’s most consistent and productive attackers.

The all-time assist leader for SJ has been with the club since 2019 & has missed just 9 out of a possible 227 regular season games in his Quakes career. He prefers to stay in MLS this season & has received a contract offer from the Quakes, however, he is open to options abroad as well. The DP forward had 4 goals & 12 assists for SJ in the 2025 season. 

In 2025, he was on a salary of $2,002,000 in guaranteed compensation.

#5: Josef Martínez

• Previous Team: San Jose Earthquakes
• Position: Forward
• Age: 32
• MLS Stats: 130 goals & 21 assists in 214 regular season appearances (15,162 minutes played). 82% pass accuracy. Has 9 yellow cards & 1 red card.
• MLS Individual Honors: 1x MLS Cup Champion (2018), 1x U.S. Open Cup Champion (2010), 1x Campeones Cup Champion (2019), 1x Leagues Cup Champion (2023), 3x MLS Best XI (2017, 2018, 2019), 1x MLS Golden Boot (2018), 1x MLS MVP (2018), 1x MLS Cup MVP (2018), 2x MLS All-Star (2018, 2019), 1x MLS All-Star MVP (2010), 2x MLS Goal of the Year (2019, 2022), member of 100 MLS Goals Club

The former MLS MVP mutually agreed to part ways with the San Jose Earthquakes after the 2025 season.

The DP forward was San Jose’s leading goal scorer this season with 14 goals in MLS play. The forward has featured for four MLS teams in the last four seasons, including Atlanta, Inter Miami, CF Montreal, & San Jose. 

The forward has the most goal contributions amongst active MLS players & is coming off of his most single-season goals and minutes played since his knee injury back in 2020. He will be a highly touted player in this free agency market.

 In 2025, he was on a salary of $1,450,000 in guaranteed compensation.

#6: Mikael Uhre

• Previous Team: Philadelphia Union
• Position: Forward
• Age: 31
• MLS Stats: 38 goals & 18 assists in 119 regular season appearances (7,133 minutes played). 68% pass accuracy.
• MLS Individual Honors: 1x Supporters’ Shield (2025)

The former club-record signing for Philadelphia Union hit the free agency market after the forward was out-of-contract at the conclusion of the 2025 season. 

The 31-year-old forward who signed back in 2022 for a reported $2,800,000 fee is a top-option in regard to available forwards. With Philadelphia Union Sporting Director Ernst Tanner on administrative leave, it’ll be interesting to monitor the situation of the DP forward who was reportedly in negotiations on a potential return to the Union. 

If available, Uhre has 10+ goals in each of his two out of his four seasons in MLS play. For the right price, he could re-vitalize any MLS team’s offensive unit.

 In 2025, he was on a salary of $2,240,000 in guaranteed compensation.

#7: Diego Fagúndez

• Previous Team: Los Angeles Galaxy
• Position: Midfielder
• Age: 30
• MLS Stats: 79 goals & 79 assists in 424 regular season appearances (27,876 minutes played). 83% pass accuracy. Has had 44 yellow cards & 0 red cards.
• MLS Individual Honors: 1x MLS Cup Champion (2024)

The 2025 Los Angeles Galaxy Player of the Year started in 29 out of 34 matches for the Los Angeles Galaxy this season but was left out of contract by the club. 

The Galaxy have announced that they are in negotiations with the midfielder to keep him in LA. 

The 30-year-old midfielder has 16-years of MLS experience with New England Revolution, Austin FC, & Los Angeles Galaxy. 

With 79 goals & 79 assists, the midfielder is 1-goal & 1-assist away from becoming just the fourth player in MLS history to join the 80 goal - 80 assist club (joining Landon Donovan, Jaime Moreno, and Diego Valeri).

 In 2025, he was on a salary of $1,310,000 in guaranteed compensation.

#8: Hassani Dotson

• Previous Team: Minnesota United FC
• Position: Midfielder
• Age: 28
• MLS Stats: 17 goals & 10 assists in 149 regular season appearances (10,856 minutes played). 83% pass accuracy. Has had 15 yellow cards & 1 red card.
• MLS Individual Honors: N/A

It was quite intriguing to see Hassani Dotson hit the free agency market after Minnesota United FC announced their end-of-season roster update. 

The 28-year-old midfielder suffered a torn meniscus on March 22nd of 2025 and missed the rest of the 2025 season. He played just 8 matches where he had 1 goal & 0 assists.

The midfielder has played his entire career with Minnesota and is in negotiations with the club over a potential return, however, it seems after recent social media posts that the midfielder will be looking for a new home in 2026.

 In 2025, he was on a salary of $682,500 in guaranteed compensation.

#9: Paul Rothrock

• Previous Team: Seattle Sounders FC
• Position: Forward
• Age: 26
• MLS Stats: 10 goals & 9 assists in 64 regular season appearances (3,564 minutes played). 80% pass accuracy. Has had 7 yellow cards & 0 red cards.
• MLS Individual Honors: 1x Leagues Cup (2025)

Breakout forward Paul Rothrock is a highly coveted free agent this season. 

The 26-year-old forward is coming off of his best season yet with 4 goals & 7 assists in MLS play, including a goal in the Leagues Cup final. Seattle are reportedly in “healthy conversations” over a potential return with the forward, however, for his salary, many MLS teams will be foaming at the mouth over his signature.

 In 2025, he was on a salary of $104,000 in guaranteed compensation.

#10: Carlos Coronel

• Previous Team: New York Red Bulls
• Position: Goalkeeper
• Age: 28
• MLS Stats: 409 total saves, 45 clean sheets in 199 regular season appearances, 0.692% save percentage with 61% pass accuracy & 83.4% long ball success rate. 
• MLS Individual Honors: None

The six-year MLS veteran goalkeeper is on the market.

 In late August of the 2025 season, RBNY acquired goalkeeper John McCarthy from Los Angeles Galaxy in exchange for $150,000 in GAM & third-round pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft. This ideally meant that after five seasons with New York Red Bulls, 28-year-old captain goalkeeper Carlos Coronel was left out of contract by the club & hit the free agent market.

The second (potentially first) best option goalkeeper was on a TAM level contract with New York Red Bulls & will be heavily sought after by plenty of teams.

 In 2025, he was on a salary of $599,649 in guaranteed compensation.

Honorable Mentions:

Goalkeepers: Sean Johnson (Former Club: Toronto FC), Aljaž Ivačič (Former Club: New England Revolution), Jacob Jackson (Former Club: FC Dallas), Pedro Gallese (Former Club: Orlando City SC), Maxime Crepeau (Former Club: Portland Timbers)

Defenders: Justin Haak (Former Club: New York City FC), Brandon Bye (Former Club: New England Revolution), Henry Kessler (Former Club: St. Louis City SC), Jon Bell (Former Club: Seattle Sounders), Kyle Duncan (Former Club: New York Red Bulls)

Midfielders: Gastón Brugman (Former Club: Nashville SC), Eryk Williamson (Former Club: Charlotte FC), Cesar Araújo (Former Club: Orlando City SC), Joao Paulo (Former Club: Seattle Sounders), Mark-Anthony Kaye (Former Club: San Jose Earthquakes)

Forwards: Mason Toye (Former Club: Sporting Kansas City), Fafa Picault (Former Club: Inter Miami CF), Willy Agada (Former Club: Real Salt Lake), Sergio Santos (Former Club: Houston Dynamo FC), Diego Rubio (Former Club: Austin FC)

Related:

MLS 2026 Free Agents

MLS Transactions

Indiana University & Head Coach Curt Cignetti’s rise to the top of the college football world is one of the better stories of the 2025 calendar year, and with that new found success, comes plenty of financial reward. Here’s a quick breakdown of what the football coach has already earned this season, and what may still be to come (including a fun adjustment if IU secures one more victory).

Total 2025 Compensation

Current: $13,175,000
Max Possible: $14,675, 000

Base & Supplemental Salary

In 2025, Cignetti will cash in a $500,000 base salary, plus $9.65M from “outside marketing and promotional income”. The latter increases $100,000 each year of the contract.

Signing & Retention Bonuses

Cignetti received a $250,000 bonus upon signing the 8 year, $93M contract extension back on October 16th, 2025. On November 30th, a $1M retention bonus was paid out (yes, that’s $1M for not leaving the school just 6 weeks later). This $1M payout will happen each November 30th through 2028. The bonus then increases to $1.25M from 2029-2033.

Incentive Package

Already Earned
6 Big Ten wins: $125,000
Big 10 Championship: $1,000,000
Big 10 Coach of the Year: $50,000

CFP Bonuses (non-cumulative)
Quarterfinal Appearance: $600,000 (vested)
Semifinal Appearance: $700,000
Championship Runner-Up: $1,000,000
National Championship: $2,000,000

Could Still Earn
National Coach of the Year: $100,000

The Semifinal Clause

Here’s a fun final wrinkle. The contract contains a clause named the Good Faith Market Review stating that if Indiana appears in a CFP Semifinal game, the University is required to discuss a renegotiated contract that escalates Cignetti’s annual compensation to no less than the 3rd highest among active head coaches.

Here’s how that looks right now:
#1: Kirby Smart (Georgia), $13,282,580
#2: Lane Kiffin (LSU), $13,000,000
#3: Ryan Day (Ohio State): $12,575,000
#4: Curt Cignetti (Indiana): $11,600,000
#5: Lincoln Riley (USC): $11,537,560

Per the terms of the contract, the two sides have 120 days following the Semifinal appearance to agree upon the salary adjustment, or else, all termination fees associated with the contract would be waived. In other words, if IU doesn’t make Cignetti a Top 3 paid coach by April, he would be able to resign from the position at any point in time over the next 7 years without owing them a dollar.

What a remarkable season for MLS Cup finalists Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

This season, the squad finished 2nd in the Western Conference & fell in the MLS Cup Finals after a 3-1 defeat to Inter Miami CF

Taking a glance at the overall season, Vancouver Whitecaps FC went 10-3-4 at home & 8-4-5 on the road. They had the 3rd best offense & 2nd best defense across the entire league.

The club also won two pieces of silverware this season. (Canadian Championship & Cascadia Cup).

With their roster decisions published, Vancouver Whitecaps FC will have a good amount of roster flexibility.

The biggest questions for this group are: How can this club make improvements to an already talented roster? Who do they really lose this offseason? Where are their positional needs?

In the offseason guide:

The Positives

Brian White was an unstoppable force in Vancouver’s attack this season. The 29-year-old forward had 17 goal contributions (16 goals & 1 assist) in 21 games this season. He, along with midfielder Sebastian Berhalter (15 goal contributions - 4 goals & 11 assists) & goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka (MLS Goalkeeper of the Year runner-up) were MLS All-Stars this season. These 3 were extremely important towards Vancouver’s success this season.

Signing free agent midfielder Thomas Muller was a spectacular decision. The 36-year-old midfielder left Bayern Munich (2007-25) after 18-remarkable seasons where he won 13 Bundesliga titles, 6 DFB-Pokal titles, 8 DFL-Supercups, 2 UEFA Champions Leagues, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 2 FIFA Club World Cups & 1 FIFA World Cup. In his first season with Vancouver, Muller had 10 goal contributions in 7 matches (7 goals & 3 assists). He’ll be on a Designated Player contract in 2026 and will be a vital part of Vancouver’s attack.

Talk about a debut season for winger Anders Dreyer. The 27-year-old forward had an astonishing 38 goal contributions (19 goals & 19 assists) in 34 regular season games this season. It’s no shock that the DP forward was in contention for MLS MVP the entire season & won MLS Newcomer of the Year.

Vancouver had the 3rd best offense & 2nd best defense in the league. Scoring 66 goals, their offense was menacing all season. Additionally, only allowing only 38 goals on the year, their back line was unnavigable.

Vancouver had TWENTY different goalscorers this season, with SEVEN of those players with 3+ goals (White, Muller, Sabbi, Laborda, Berhalter, Vite, & Rios).

Instead of participating in the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup or Leagues Cup, the club elected to participate in the Canadian Championship & Concacaf Champions Cup. These were both extremely smart decisions by the club.

In the Canadian Championship, the defending champions did not disappoint. The club defeated Canadian Premier League side Valour FC (4-3 on aggregate) in the Quarterfinals, defeated Canadian Premier League side Forge FC (6-2 on aggregate) in the Semifinals and were victorious 4-2 over Canadian Premier League side Vancouver FC in the finals.

In the Concacaf Champions Cup, the club did extremely well in the competition. The club defeated Deportivo Saprissa (3-2 on aggregate) after two legs in the first round, tied Monterrey (3-3 on aggregate after both legs, but advanced due to away goals) in the Round of 16, tied Pumas (3-3 on aggregate after both legs, but advanced due to away goals), and defeated Inter Miami CF (5-1 on aggregate). They unfortunately fell in the final.

The Negatives

Vancouver fell 3-1 to Inter Miami CF in the 2025 MLS Cup Final. The squad got extremely unlucky, as they dominated the majority of the game and even had a double post in the 60th minute. Just an unfortunate ending for the Canadian side.

Vancouver were annihilated in the Concacaf Champions Cup Final. The squad lost 5-0 to Cruz Azul & were honestly embarrassing. After 90 minutes of play, they had zero total shots & had 34% possession. Just honestly sad.

Roster Flexibility

Vancouver Whitecaps FC have a good amount of roster flexibility. At the moment, the club has three designated players (Thomas Muller, Andres Cubas & Ryan Gauld) and two U-22 initiative signings (Kenji Cabrera & Edier Ocampo).

This club is in the 3DP & 3U22 model. In regard to GAM totals, the club has $1,648,728 of GAM (as of Sept. 18, 2025).

The club announced their end-of-season roster update, where they announced most contract option decisions. 

The club is entering the 2026 season with 26 players as of December 8th.

Offseason Priorities

Sign a U22 player that will help improve this roster.

Re-sign Belal Halbouni (Option Declined - in negotiations over return) & Yohei Takaoka (Out of Contract - in negotiations over return).

Daniel Jones’ torn Achilles tendon wasn’t just bad timing for an Indianapolis Colts team looking to make a final push into the 2025 postseason, but it sets off a chain reaction of questions surrounding both his football, and certainly financial future.

One of the bigger questions surrounding this scenario is a two-parter: How much do the Colts need Daniel Jones, and how many other teams are also heavily interested in his services? We’ll dive into a few possible outcomes.

Before the Injury

The most likely scenario set to play out before the injury was a February franchise tag offer, with negotiations for a multi-year contract extension soon to follow. Jones carried a $45M valuation from our system heading into Week 14, projecting to a 4 year, $180M contract. According to our data, the non-exclusive franchise tag for a QB next season stands to be priced at or around the $46M mark.

Post-Injury Expectations

Jones’ injury, surgery and recovery timeline put the Colts - and other interested teams - in a very difficult situation. It’s highly likely that Jones won’t be back on a football field for a minimum of 9 months, with a full year of recovery extremely common with injuries of this degree.

A $46M franchise tag for a player unlikely to be ready for Week 1 seems aggressive, most notably because it will all but eliminate Indy’s initial 2026 salary cap space. Based on pure speculation, it’s highly likely that Jones is allowed to test the open market this March. This allows the Colts the opportunity to do their due diligence on all trade and free agent options, while also keeping an open line of communication with Jones and his camp.

There’s a clear fit between Jones and the Colts offense, and the 2025 version of the Minnesota Vikings sans Sam Darnold is stark evidence to show that not every system is “plug-and-play”, but Jones will now be rehabbing his 2nd major injury (2023 ACL).

We’ve seen quite a few examples of a “rehab bridge” contract in MLB, usually attached to a starting pitcher who has missed a calendar year due to Tommy John surgery. Teams have been willing to offer such players a 2 year contract, with a low salary in Year 1 (which includes rehabilitation time), incentives to boost that number should the player return and produce, and a much more player-friendly salary in the 2nd year of the deal. But a starting quarterback holds much more power & leverage in situations like this. Jones may not be willing to build in a second year to any contract in 2026, assuming that all of the offers he receives are suppressed due to the injury.

Instead, he might be more inclined to run back the 1-year, incentive-laden contract he just spent 2025 playing out (from which he’ll end up earning around $16M). Not only does this provide Indy with financial value to build out the roster more this coming offseason, but it gives Jones a chance to properly rehab, work his way back into legitimate QB1 form with a system he’s comfortable in, and bet on the opportunity to approach free agency in March of 2027. It might even be possible for Jones to negotiate a “no-tag” clause in this 1-year deal, gaining a bit more control of his future going forward.

Free Agency & Availability

Barring a franchise tag or extension (below) Jones was set to become one of the top players to hit the open market this coming March. In terms of upcoming free agents with legitimate starting QB experience, the list is minimal. When factoring in success at the position, the list shrinks even more.

Notable Pending Free Agent QBs
Aaron Rodgers (PIT, 42)
Joe Flacco (CIN, 40)
Russell Wilson (NYG, 37)
Tyrod Taylor (NYJ, 36)
Jimmy Garoppolo (LAR, 34)
Carson Wentz (MIN, 33)
Marcus Mariota (WSH, 32)
Mitchell Trubisky (BUF, 31)
Gardner Minshew (KC, 29)
Kenny Pickett (LV, 27)
Zach Wilson (MIA, 26)

Potential Trade/Release Candidates
Kyler Murray (ARI, 28)
Kirk Cousins (ATL, 37)
Andy Dalton (CAR, 38)
Dillon Gabriel (CLE, 24)
Geno Smith (LV, 35)
Justin Fields (NYJ, 26)
Drew Lock (SEA, 29)
Mac Jones (SF, 27)

Projected QB-Needy Teams
Arizona
Atlanta
Cleveland
Indianapolis
LA Rams
Las Vegas
Miami
Minnesota
New Orleans
NY Jets
Pittsburgh

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