Big F-ing is Back! Rapids Re-sign Center Back Mike Edwards.

COMMERCE CITY – Big F-ing is back for 2025, Rapids fans. Colorado Rapids confirmed Monday morning they have re-signed center back Mike Edwards. The contract is a one-year deal for 2025 with a team option for 2026.

Edwards came to the club in 2021 after spending time in the youth set ups at D.C. United and Vfl Wolfsburg II. He spent most of 2021 on loan at Colorado Springs Switchbacks, starting most games. With MLS NEXT Pro launching, he was with Rapids 2 for much of 2022-2023. This past year, he finally broke into the first team. He made his first MLS start July 7, 2024 in a 4-1 win over St. Louis at home. He started and scored against Sporting KC. He was the first center back off the bench after Moïse Bombito was sold.

The club did have a team option on the previous contract for the Woodbridge, VA native but declined it. Edwards was on $130,000 last year. It’s possible there was a scheduled raise in his 2025 option that would have given the club less flexibility roster assignment wise (senior, supplemental, etc.).

The larger factor to me is what role Edwards wanted and was going to be given with the first team this year. A 1+1 contract is similar to what Oli Larraz and Seb Anderson got last year. In all three of these cases, the Homegrown had been training with the first team and gotten minutes. But they hadn’t established a role beyond making up numbers on the bench.

Larraz won a starting spot in midfield in preseason and balled out. His option got picked up. Anderson got time under Chris Little but is now further down the depth chart with Reggie Cannon signed in the summer. His option was not picked up. Sources tell Burgundy Wave that Anderson is looking to sign elsewhere in MLS or the USL Championship.

Edwards had his option declined and then Colorado got two center backs in a huge trade with Cincinnati. BW and other outlets have reported Andreas Maxsø could move to the Middle East. Head Coach Chris Armas tried out a 3-4-3 in the final game of the season and will use it at times this season.

The Pids will need a third center back at time. Injuries happen. The club needs to rotate and have a better bench this year. Edwards is becoming that. If he agreed to take a lesser pay raise to give the club the roster flexibility it had with him previously, it makes sense from the Rapids Front Office. In hindsight, the timing of declining the option and re-signing him now makes sense.

The player and the club are betting on 2025. Edwards makes another step forward, he can become a starter on this team. The club gives him an opportunity like they did with Larraz, both sides win. If they don’t, there’s an easy out for everyone, like appears to be happening with Anderson.

For a guy with two starts, the fans really like him. Let Big F-ing Mike Edwards keep this journey going.

Photo Credit: Mark Shaiken

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