Inside The UFA: Chicago's Supercharged Offseason


February 3, 2025
By Ian Toner

The UFA’s offseason carousel spun faster than ever in the last two weeks, with emerging and established stars signing new deals at a dizzying pace. Let’s dive in to how these moves came together and what they mean for the franchises involved.

Chicago Signings Heat Up Central Division Offseason Arms Race

It’s clear that the Union mean business as the 2025 season draws nearer.

After falling to Madison in the playoffs last July and witnessing their rivals in Minnesota sign major new pieces of their own, Chicago secured commitments from former stars, like Paul Arters and Nate Goff, while bringing new ones, like Daan de Marrée into the fold.

As we learned in the last week, they weren’t done.

The franchise quarterback and league’s all time assists leader, Pawel Janas, will be back in blue and white after two seasons with the Los Angeles Aviators.

“Pawel’s availability became known to us quite recently,” Union co-coach Charlie Furse said on February 1. “As a cornerstone of the team's most successful seasons we were happy to explore what his return would look like.  In the past he's been a high touch player for us. This year we're looking for ways to reduce his workload while continuing to put him in position to contribute in key moments. He will be vital as a player leader. His confidence in tense moments will be invaluable.”

So perhaps Janas may not tally 97 assists like he did in 2019 or even 55 like he did in 2023. But it would be reasonable to expect his experience and poise to have a massive positive impact on the Union–and leave a gaping hole in Los Angeles’ offense and leadership.

And that’s not the only surprising O-line loss the Aviators are enduring. Brandon “Lotto” Van Deusen, whose 2024 campaign was cut short due to injury, will also be suiting up for the Union in 2025.

According to Van Deusen, he and Janas were joking about Van Deusen coming to play in Chicago on New Year’s Eve. Within a week of that conversation, Van Deusen’s boss, Benson Dastrup (father of Simon Dastrup and operator of the Flatball Club YouTube Channel), asked Van Deusen if he’d consider coming to Chicago to work more closely with him and play ultimate out there.

“I have never been to Chicago before, so it definitely took some time to convince myself,” Van Deusen said on February 2. “But I realized I didn’t have much tying me down in Los Angeles so I should do it. On January 11, I reached out to the Union leadership telling them there was a chance I’d be in Chicago for work and that I’d be interested in playing on the team [...] Within 10 minutes, I had a text from Charlie [Furse] saying he wanted to meet the following day. I had a meeting with Charlie the following day, and he offered me a contract on the spot.”

“Lotto's combination of athleticism, disc skill, and frisbee IQ make him an incredible addition to our roster,” Furse said. “His drive to push himself and his team to new levels of success will be key for us this year.”

Van Deusen, who was healthy enough to earn a spot on Team USA for 2025 Beach Worlds when tryouts unfolded last fall, led the Aviators in assists in 2022. And in 2023, when the Aviators reached the West Division Championship Game, his 96.05 percent completion rate was second among Los Angeles’ offensive regulars (behind Janas).

And, of course, the astute observer would be remiss to neglect Chicago’s Simon Dastrup signing.

“Simon's been on our radar dating back to his high school days and was actually signed as part of our 2020 roster,” said Furse, referencing the season cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic. “Since then he's only continued to grow as a player and teammate. Early in the offseason we started texting about his plans and goals for the offseason. When it became clear the Union was a potential fit Simon attended an early January tryout and we talked in depth about roster, leadership structure, and the team's guiding principles for this year. Simon will be a great fit for us as someone who can consistently threaten and protect the deep space. He's brilliant at identifying and taking advantage of leverage, and his versatility will allow him to contribute heavily on both sides of the disc.”

Dastrup showcased that versatility in new ways with Salt Lake in 2024, when, roughly halfway through the season, the Shred coaching staff began deploying him about as frequently on offense as it had been deploying him on defense.

“I think this past UFA season with Shred helped me gain a fuller understanding of my preferences between O-line and D-line,” Dastrup explained. “It’s stressful to be on an O-line on an elite team! The pressure to hold for the point that you’re on is immense, and it’s difficult to maintain the energy that lifts a team to victory. As a D-line player, it’s an exciting thing to get on that line and have the chance to grind with the squad to get one more break! For me, D-line is the place I’m most comfortable and where I’d like to keep performing. That being said, there were great moments of confidence and excitement on the O-line and I’d love to expand that part of my game.”

The Salt Lake coaching staff had been very excited about Dastrup’s development and the potential for him to play a bigger role in the Shred offense going forward.

“I have a ton of gratitude for the Shred and the opportunities for competition and growth that I had there,” Dastrup said. “Since I’m born and raised in Chicago, it’s a tough decision every offseason about whether I’ll stay in Utah for the summer after my semester at BYU is over, or spend it at home with family and the people I grew up playing with. There are a bunch of complicated factors that made this year the year to finally sign the contract and commit to moving out there [Chicago] once school gets out.”

“Chicago is where I first fell in love with ultimate,” Dastrup added. “Knowing all that, I’m not sure my connection to the Union could be attributed to contact from just one person. This year’s contract signing, on the other hand, I’d have to thank coach Charlie Furse for. He texted me pretty early in the offseason to check my availability and see if I was ready to sign with them. It was clear to me that Charlie and other leadership at the Union had thought about what I could contribute to the team and saw a high ceiling for me. That’s what I hope for from any coach, and I’m excited to see what roles they have in store for me.”

“I’d love to see myself fill a dynamic initiating cutter role on some of the O-lines and I’m excited to ratchet up pressure as a big-man on the D-line,” Dastrup explained. “It’s about time Chicago is back at Championship Weekend. Thanks, Minnesota, for helping us out and representing the Central Division at the last couple! We’ll take it from here.”