Gotham FC signs midfielder Jaedyn Shaw to multi-year contract extension | OneFootball

On Thursday, NJ/NY Gotham FC announced that midfielder Jaedyn Shaw has signed a multi-year contract extension through 2029. The 20-year-old was in her third year of her four-year deal that she signed with San Diego Wave FC back in August 2023.

Shaw was originally acquired by the Bats in a blockbuster trade with the North Carolina Courage in September. The deal saw Gotham part ways with $1.25 million in intra-league transfer funds, more than double the previous record of $600k paid by the Kansas City Current for Ally Sentnor.

Shaw had spent less than one season with the Courage after being acquired from San Diego back in January of this year, only managing three goals and one assist in 19 matches. She has not put up the raw goal contribution numbers with the NJ/NY side just yet, managing just one goal and one assist in nine matches. Still, the general level of comfort looks higher in her short time at Gotham than in her slightly longer but still short time in North Carolina.

Shaw joins long list of Gotham FC re-signings

Shaw is now the eighth player to have re-signed with Gotham over the course of this season. She joins Esther González, Jaelin Howell, Bruninha, Tierna Davidson, Sarah Schupansky, Khyah Harper, and Ryan Campbell as players who have extended their contracts with the team. As such, the club has 23 players under contract for next season, which could signal a much quieter offseason than what fans have seen over the past few years.

This comes on the heels of Head Coach Juan Carlos Amorós signing his own contract extension back in April. This wave of player re-signings following the head coach's re-signing signals that everyone is buying into what's being sold for 2026. Following multiple off-seasons of large roster turnover, with last year's particularly striking a nerve with the fanbase, supporters may be in for a welcome change this winter with a large portion of the 2025 roster returning for 2026.

Many people expected a little bit of a step back in 2025 after the loss of certain players in the offseason. But thanks to smart roster construction that saw an impressive rookie class and clever player acquisitions, the fall-off was minimized compared to what it could have been. Yes, while eighth place is disappointing, they did only finish four points out of fourth. It is not hard to see where those points could have been picked up.

While the NWSL regular season did not end great, with just one win in the final six matches, there have been lots of positives. There is the strong rookie class headlined by Schupansky, Lilly Reale, and Josefine Hasbo, the re-emergence of Jaelin Howell as one of the best defensive midfielders in the league, or Rose Lavelle returning from offseason surgery, and quickly getting back to playing at an MVP level.

Between improvements from the young players and continued building of chemistry from one season to another, 2026 could see Gotham FC back to where they were in 2024. Moreover, signing Shaw for a few more years will certainly help the Bats.