November 19, 2025
By Adam Ruffner
Today the New York Empire announced the signing of Alex Atkins for the 2026 season. Atkins spent his first four seasons as a pro with the Colorado Summit, qualifying for the playoffs three times and earning an All-UFA First Team selection in 2024.
"I’m grateful for the opportunity to join the New York Empire," said Atkins. "We have an amazing group, and I’m excited to grow, compete, and see how far we can go together."
The 6’4” hybrid has primarily earned his keep as an offensive facilitator and playmaker, but began the 2025 season as a defensive starter. Before his season was derailed by injury, Atkins racked up eight blocks in just four starts. And with a top five arm in the UFA in terms of throwing power, Atkins transitioned immediately into one of the best pullers; Atkins led the league last year in pulls per game (19), and his high RPM torque on the frisbee allowed for considerable hangtime.
Atkins figures to be a focal point in any role, but his reps on defense could prove vital for a New York team looking to rebound after an early exit from the playoffs. Following years of having the most imposing lineup of defenders in the league, the Empire finished in the bottom half of the UFA in 2025 in blocks and breaks per game; New York managed just two break scores on five takeaways in their loss to DC on July 26.
“We played maybe the worst game I’ve ever seen Empire play,” said New York Captain Jack Williams at the time of their loss this past July. “Mistakes were just coming from all over the place. It felt like we were trending in the right direction, and then we really just flopped.”
The Empire have made the playoffs in every season since 2018, and have a league-record three UFA titles during that span. However, New York has been eliminated from the East Division playoffs in the first round of each of the past two years. The team inked a fleet of veterans last year that included Max Sheppard, Everest Shapiro, Oliver Fay, and Calvin Brown, but a deluge of injuries and constantly rotating lineups hamstrung much of the team’s performance.
