January 22, 2026
By Daniel Cohen
More than half the league has begun announcing their player signings for 2026, so it feels like a good time to review what we know about rosters so far. While there’s plenty more offseason to go, here are mid-offseason grades for every team that’s announced at least one signing to this point.
Atlanta Hustle: B+
Nice to see Alec Wilson Holliday back for a second season with Atlanta. The 2025 free agent addition led the team in goals last year with 38, and with Cam Brock heading back to Indy, there should be even more opportunity for Wilson Holliday to excel in the best offense in the league. With future hall of fame handler Austin Taylor returning for his 10th season—he’s coming off back-to-back 50-assist seasons—alongside three-time All-UFA selection Brett Hulsmeyer, expect the Hustle to again be contenders in 2026.
Austin Sol: A
Austin’s been rolling out player announcements over the past few weeks, featuring their typical veteran core but notably including Evan Swiatek (also named as one of three captains this year) and Matt Armour, two top-end starters that didn’t play last season. Swiatek earned Second Team All-UFA honors in 2023, as his versatility as an O-line hybrid helped lead the Sol to their first Championship Weekend appearance. Armour has shined as an elite D-line handler defender and counterattack leader throughout his time in Austin, and historically has been frequently called on to switch over to the O-line for key points. The Sol core is looking as strong as ever, and they should again find themselves firmly in the South Division playoff race in 2026.
Boston Glory: A
While we don’t know much about Boston’s 2026 roster at this point, the little we do know has all arrows pointing up for another potential championship run. With reigning MVP Tobe Decraene officially back (contracted through 2027), two-time MVP Jeff Babbitt still under contract for another year, and today’s announcement of Thomas Edmonds, the reigning champs feel like the current favorites to take home another trophy in 2026. Edmonds spent his first four seasons in Pittsburgh before joining the DC Breeze in 2023 where he played the last three seasons. Known as one of the most versatile swiss-army-knife-type players in the league, Edmonds’ career resume includes a plus/minus of +30 or higher every year since 2019 (including playoffs), a 40-assist season in 2019, three 3,000-plus yard seasons, and four playoff wins in nine career postseason games. Whether he helps lead the D-line counterattack or slots in alongside Decraene on offense, Edmonds is a difference-maker that can elevate Boston’s efficiency to new heights.
Carolina Flyers: A-
The return of Tobias Brooks to the Carolina Flyers has been one of the headlines of the offseason, as the U24 Team USA gold medalist is back after a one-year stint in Colorado. Entering his fourth pro season in 2026, the 21-year-old hybrid has already asserted himself as a game-changing presence whenever his team has possession, regardless of whether he has the disc in his hands. While he likely won’t play all 12 regular season games due to the college season, Brooks is the type of signing that has a significant gravity to it, and it’ll be interesting to follow the rest of the Flyers offseason to see how they build this year’s roster around their young phenom.
Chicago Union: C+
The two notable losses we know about so far are 2025 All Defense selections Will Wettengel and Xavier Payne, who are returning to Indianapolis this year, but there’s still no word yet on last year’s MVP runner-up Daan De Marrée. If Chicago manages to keep him, I could see a lot of last year’s roster coming back to play with the Belgian star. If not, then the Wettengel and Payne losses could end up being the tip of the iceberg. So far, Ben Preiss and Andrew Sjogren are the only two from last year’s roster that have been announced for 2026; the team has also announced a couple interesting new additions in former Thunderbird Charlie Vukovic and former Flyer Xander Wilcox, as well as past Union players Luke Brennan and college champion Cullen Baker. There’s certainly intrigue with Chicago, but it feels like the whole ultimate world is waiting on Daan De Marrée news before we can get a sense of what to expect from the Union in 2026.
DC Breeze: B
Not too much to report with the Breeze so far, but the trio of Christian Boxley, Charlie McCutcheon, Jacques Nissen is a fine starting point. With DC, it’s been their depth that has really set them apart year over year, so any sort of roster assessment after just three announcements feels especially premature. We know they’ve lost Thomas Edmonds to Boston. The question is, will that be a simple hole to plug up with another deep rotation in 2026? Or is it a sign of significant roster turnover in DC with some aging vets and a new head coach? Breeze tryouts are scheduled for mid February, so it’ll likely be a bit over a month before we start seeing the bulk of their announcements.
Indianapolis AlleyCats: A+
Indianapolis has rightfully been in the spotlight for the majority of this offseason, as they’ve taken an aggressive approach to free agency in hopes of returning to the playoffs after back-to-back losing seasons. Aside from the return of previous AlleyCats like Cameron Brock, Xavier Payne and Will Wettengel, they’ve gone out of their way to sign a pair of Philly guys in Nate Little and James Pollard, Max Squires from the United Kingdom, 2024 UFA assist leader Jake Felton, three Hawkins brothers, and U24 gold medalist Isaiah Mason. And there may still be more to come. What it all means in terms of lineups, chemistry, ceiling, etc. remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt the AlleyCats are the team to watch in 2026.
Minnesota Wind Chill: A
Justin Burnett has re-signed, and the team has added college champion Nate De Morgan to a young core already featuring established vets like Will Brandt, Paul Krenik, and Thomas Shope. Burnett nearly took home Defensive Player of the Year honors last season and was even in the running for MVP, and De Morgan started his pro career strong with some massive impact plays for Salt Lake last year. Minnesota continues to boast one of the most consistent year-to-year rosters in the league, while adding a notable playmaker or two each season. With their elite defense, strong veteran core, up-and-coming young guys, and top-tier coaching, they should again be considered Central Division favorites in 2026.
Montreal Royal: B
The Royal announced their first signing of the offseason yesterday, kicking things off with the return of Quentin Bonnaud. Bonnaud finished sixth in the league last year in plus/minus (+64), second in goals (53), and fifth in receiving yards (3,645), consistently performing as one of the top downfield playmakers in 2025. Able to punch with anyone in the East last year, the Royal will be looking for more week-to-week consistency in 2026; roster retention will be key.
New York Empire: A
New York made a splash early this offseason with the signing of Alex Atkins, who joins the Empire after four seasons in Colorado. A First Team All-UFA selection in 2024, Atkins has the versatility to fill a variety of roles on either side of the disc and elevate New York’s ceiling as a key playmaker, whether he’s launching backhand hucks or dominating the airspace downfield. The team also announced Jack Williams will return for his 11th pro season (seventh with New York), as they’ll look to assemble the right mix of new additions and championship vets to get back on top of the East.
Oakland Spiders: B
Announced this week, Evan Magsig will suit up for his sixth season with the Spiders after back-to-back 40-assist seasons. The Spiders captain has been developing into one of the league’s top quarterbacks, and Oakland’s offensive efficiency could continue to rise with Magsig anchoring the backfield once again. Robin Vickers Batzdorf will also be captaining the team for the second straight season, bringing four years of D-line experience back to the roster.
Oregon Steel: C
Nate Knutson and Ryan Wolfe are back for 2026, and they’ve announced their full coaching staff which includes former Boston Glory veteran Topher Davis. Aside from that, Oregon’s roster is largely unknown, and it’ll likely take a significant influx of talent (or maybe just really great coaching) to enter the playoff mix this season.
Pittsburgh Thunderbirds: C
Reid Duncan and Anson Reppermund are the first players announced to play for the new coaching staff led by Head Coach David Berg, but the Thunderbirds will need some splashy signings to keep pace with a Central Division that seems to be leveling up all around them.
San Diego Growlers: B
Growlers signings have begun trickling in this week, starting off with captain Kyle Rubin, 10-year veteran Travis Dunn, and Matt Miller, who finished second in the league last year in total yards. Dunn is the UFA’s model of career consistency, as he’s made an All-UFA team each of the last seven seasons, tied with Ben Jagt for the longest active streak in the league. Keep an eye on San Diego; with LA suspending operations this offseason, they’re sure to scoop up some additional SoCal talent and make another push for the South Division crown.
Seattle Cascades: B
The core looks to be back for Seattle, with Garrett Martin, Zeppelin Raunig, Marc Muñoz and others re-signing with the team for 2026. While they had a disappointing 2025 campaign following their Championship Weekend appearance in 2024, this team really isn’t far off from the top of the West and is fully capable of challenging Salt Lake, Oakland, and Colorado. Another offseason retaining their young core—and hopefully adding some new pieces—would put them right back in the playoff mix.
