Chicago Red Stars, Mallory Swanson Agree to Record-Setting Deal

Originally posted on On Tap Sports Net | By Joe Chatz | Last updated Jan 16, 2024 1:51 PM ET

It required a league-record contract, but Mallory Swanson is staying with the Chicago Red Stars long-term.

The Red Stars announced Tuesday that they signed Swanson to a "lucrative" contract that keeps her in Chicago through at least the 2027 season. CBS Sports’ Sandra Herrera reports that the deal includes an option for the 2028 NWSL season. Herrera also notes that the USWNT star’s deal will be worth at least $400,000 annually. The reported total value of Swanson’s contract exceeds the $1.5 million deal that the Houston Dash recently gave to former Red Stars draft pick Maria Sanchez.

“I am excited to be back with the Red Stars! These last few years have been such a blessing in Chicago, even with the ups and downs, and I can’t wait to be back,” said Swanson in the announcement. “I am looking forward to getting to work and helping the team win championships."

Swanson, 25, will begin her fourth season with Chicago in the coming months after being acquired from then-Sky Blue FC in 2020. She’s scored 16 goals since joining the Red Stars despite missing most of the 2023 season with a torn left patella tendon suffered during a USWNT friendly on April 8. Swanson is a mainstay on the USWNT, scoring 32 goals and assisting 27 others in 88 appearances while also winning the 2019 Women’s World Cup.

Inbox: the Chicago Red Stars have signed Mallory Swanson to the most lucrative contract in #NWSL history, keeping Swanson with CRS through 2028 #ChiStars
— Joe Chatz (@JoeChatz) January 16, 2024

“The Red Stars could not be more excited that Mallory Swanson has decided to extend her career with us here in Chicago,” said Red Stars president Karen Leetzow in the announcement. “Mallory exemplifies the grit, focus and resiliency of our franchise and is an anchor for this team. Mal is a born leader on and off the field and I look forward to working with her to make the Red Stars a championship team.”

Mallory Swanson Contract Analysis

This was the deal the Red Stars needed to make going into the 2024 NWSL season. Despite last year’s injury, Mallory Swanson remains one of the best talents in the world and it would have been calamitous for Chicago if she had signed elsewhere.

Sure, there is some risk in giving a record contract to a player recovering from a major injury, but Swanson is the type of talent to take a risk on despite what happened in 2023. Expect at least 15 combined goals and assists for Chicago’s No. 9 in 2024.

This article first appeared on On Tap Sports Net and was syndicated with permission.

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