Should Colorado Rapids Extend Chris Armas’ Contract?

Commerce City, CO – It’s a contract year for Chris Armas. The time for contract extension talks is approaching for the second-year head coach. During the emergency press conference from Pádraig Smith after the Djorjde trade, Smith went on the record to say the club wanted to bring him back. However, after the second loss to Sporting KC of the season, Armas said that despite there being talks of an extension between him and the club, the process was going slower than he would like.

After what felt like a relatively successful 2024 season, it seemed like Chris Armas was going to be the guy in Colorado for years to come. However, after a rocky 2025 season, it has become increasingly a question of whether he should be extended. So, should Chris Armas be extended as Colorado Rapids head coach?

It would be wrong not to mention all the success the club has had since Armas joined before the 2024 season. Colorado was in disarray after the 2023 season. Having fired long-time head coach Robin Fraser, who had once led the team to first place in the West in 2021. But just two years later, the Rapids found themselves at the bottom of the Western Conference and without a head coach. Armas was not a flashy hire from Colorado. He had most recently served as the head coach of the disappointing 2021 Toronto FC side.

The hiring drew criticism from the fan base. He appeared to be a cheaper option from a less competitive club, considering the other candidates. However, by the end of 2024, he had silenced his critics, leading the Rapids back into the playoffs for the first time since 2021, while boasting a strong record in other key categories.

The Rapids finished third in the 2024 edition of Leagues Cup. Beating four Liga MX teams en route, including heavy favorites Club America. Colorado also got one up on their rival, RSL, winning the Rocky Mountain Cup for the first time since 2020. Even with the playoffs going as poorly as they could have, it was a successful year for the Rapids, who would look to build on it in 2025.

It is the building aspect that has Chris Armas in potential hot water when it comes to contract extension talks. Even seeping into the later stages of 2024, it has been mostly worse for the Rapids. Including playoffs, Colorado ended 2024 with one win and seven losses in the last eight games. 2025 has been better than that stretch, but it has been all but smooth for Colorado.

The Rapids are currently three points above the playoff line with five games to go. Colorado had secured a playoff spot this time last season, but now could miss the playoffs entirely. Some of the issues that have hurt the Rapids this season have been beyond Armas’ control. Roster turnover has been exceptionally prevalent this season and has hurt the team in the middle of the 2024 season as well. Losing star players Moïse Bombito, Chido Awaziem, and Djordje Mihailović midway through a year is tough for a manager.

However, unlike other Rapids head coaches from previous years, it appears that Armas is receiving some sort of backing from the club. They have recently acquired players like Paxten Aaronson, Alexis Manyoma, and Rob Holding, while also making significant signings in 2024, including Sam Vines, Cole Bassett, and Zack Steffen. The quality of the roster is arguably the highest the Rapids have ever seen. While this is aligned with other MLS teams, Chris Armas can’t use the excuse of a lack of backing as much as other Rapids managers of the past. It could definitely be better from the ownership, don’t get me wrong, but he has better tools than the managers of the past.

There is little evidence that Armas lost the dressing room during his tenure. But it hasn’t been pretty at times from the outside looking in. A once all-in and all-together Rapids team in 2024 has seen two designated players leave under cloudy circumstances. Kévin Cabral appeared to mentally check out in 2025, experiencing a significant drop-off from 2024. Armas could not get his $2 million man to show up in 2025. This resulted in the club waiving him in the summer transfer window.

The bigger concern for Armas came from Djordje Mihailović. The American jumped ship in the same transfer window to another MLS side, Toronto FC. Not Europe, not a step up for his career, but Toronto. The inability to keep your best player falls on Armas just as it falls on the Rapids front office. To succeed in any professional sport, you need the team to be behind the manager. If Armas doesn’t have that support from his players, it is a genuine concern for the Rapids front office.

However, it has been clear in the last two seasons that players want to play for Chris Armas. It was clear in the Paxten Aaronson press conference that he wanted to play for Armas. Players like Zack Steffen, Rafa Navarro, and Paxten come to Colorado and stay in part due to Chris Armas. He is a great man manager, he is a people person, and he is a great person to be around.

As a manager, he has had his downfalls, especially in 2025. He has yet to settle on a consistent formation or lineup this year. He has been caught off guard tactically after halftime, and he has seen his fair share of poor results. Armas has also not been able to get the best out of some of the Rapids’ best players. Cole Bassett had a good 2024 season, but has regressed heavily in 2025. Sam Vines hasn’t looked like himself since coming back from Europe. These are players Armas needs to build around, and he has failed to get the most out of them.

However, he has also turned around a flailing Rapids side that had not been in the playoffs since 2021. And he now has the team in a good position to make the playoffs in back-to-back years. I believe that if the Rapids make the playoffs this season, Chris Armas will get his extension.

However, there is a world where the Rapids fail to make the playoffs and lose the Rocky Mountain Cup to RSL, in which I would have to assume Chris Armas is let go. I believe just one of the Rocky Mountain Cup or playoffs would be enough to guarantee an extension. However, lately, he has not helped himself in the contract extension talks, losing to two bad teams by a combined score of 7-2. Armas may be unhappy with it, but the rest of the season will be crucial on whether or not he continues as Rapids head coach.

Personally, I would think even with the worst-case scenario, I would extend Armas. It has been a bad few weeks to months. But he has had a relatively successful first two years in Colorado. If the players are backing him, I don’t see a real reason to let him go. A new shiny head coach isn’t going to fix the real problem in Colorado. There is just as much chance that a new coach is worse rather than better, and it could be a risk that the Rapids wouldn’t want to take. If the vibes are good in the Rapids camp, keep them going with Armas still in charge. It would be nice to see an Armas-led season without a big player leaving midway through.

Chris Armas has been a shining example of how to coach the Rapids from a human perspective. He has put weight on the Rocky Mountain Cup that is level to the fans, and his celebration after winning the 2024 RMC was one of the best moments to watch, not only from Chris Armas and his tenure, but as a Rapids fan. He has been a great person to interview and get to know throughout this season, and continues to be a great person. Apart from the sport and the business, it would be a difficult loss for Colorado to see Armas go, but the business is the business, and the club must make the tough decisions.

Photo Credit: John Babiak

Thank you for reading Burgundy Wave. Support us via our Patreon starting at $5/month. We’re always looking for new talent. Let us know if you’re interested in covering Colorado Soccer.