Chicago Fire Exercise Bryan Dowd's 2025 Option, Release 3 Players

The Chicago Fire made their final first-team roster decisions ahead of the offseason and will only bring one loanee back for the 2025 season.

The Fire exercised their 2025 option on goalkeeper Bryan Dowd while declining their option on the contracts of Victor Bezerra and Laurence Wootton. Chicago also waived Homegrown forward Missael Rodríguez.

Dowd was the Fire’s first-round pick in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft after a standout career at Notre Dame. He didn’t find a clear path to consistent play with Chicago in 2024 and went out on loan to Huntsville SC, Nashville SC’s MLS Next Pro side. Dowd made seven starts with Huntsville and collected two clean sheets while making a few appearances as an unused substitute for Nashville SC.

Bezerra signed a Homegrown contract with the Fire in December 2021 after playing college soccer at Indiana. He made five first-team appearances in Chicago while racking up 11 goals and three assists over two seasons with Chicago Fire II. He spent most of 2024 on loan with USL Championship side Detroit City where he scored three times in 18 league appearances. Bezerra will be eligible for the 2024 MLS Re-Entry Draft.

The Fire selected Wootton 64th overall in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft after the former Stoke City and Cardiff City academy product completed his collegiate career at Ohio State. Wootton impressed Frank Klopas’ staff during the MLS preseason and was loaned to USL Championship side Indy Eleven after signing a first-team deal with Chicago. Wootton scored twice and had two assists in 24 USL appearances while also featuring in four U.S. Open Cup matches, including Indy’s win over Fire II in the third round. Wootton will also be eligible for the 2024 MLS Re-Entry Draft.

Rodríguez signed a first-team, Homegrown deal with the Fire as an 18-year-old in October 2021. Rodríguez mostly featured for Fire II, with whom he scored nine times before making his MLS debut in the Fire’s 3-0 win over CF Montréal on July 12, 2023. The Fire loaned Rodríguez to USL League One side Union Omaha in 2024, and he scored seven times in all competitions while his side won the USL League One title. Rodríguez will now be eligible for selection in the 2024 End of Year Waivers process.