Colorado Rapids Offseason Preview: Chris Armas Future, Year-End Roster Decision, and More

Commerce City, CO – The 2025 Colorado Rapids season is over. The offseason is here. Chris Armas is out of contract. There’s a number of players with options or whom are out of contract. Let’s talk about it.

Coaching Decision Chris Armas or . . .

Head coach Chris Armas is out of contract at the end of the year. I’ll get the elephant in the room out of the way. The post game press conference from Decision Day should not be a factor in this decision. I don’t believe it will. For more thoughts on this, click here and here.

Armas fits the game model the Rapids FO wants. The team is energetic, they press, they try to be good with the ball and on top of teams at home. They want to develop talent. Armas likes working with young players. He’s helped Oli Larraz, Darren Yapi, Jackson Travis, and others progress.

That said, the team didn’t improve results from 2024 to 2025. In his first year, Colorado took back the Rocky Mountain Cup and finished third in Leagues Cup, qualifying for Conca Champions. They were in position to finish top four in the Western Conference but didn’t get results at the end of the year with injuries. They finished 7th and lost in two games to eventual champions LA Galaxy.

In 2025, they finished 11th, missing out on the playoffs on Decision Day. They did retain the RMC but only on a tie breaker with the two legs being 1-0 wins for the home teams. They did not get out of the first stage in Leagues Cup, though the new format made that more difficult. Results aside, tactically the team had issues. Their goal difference went from +1 to -12. The 2024 Rapids had such a good thing going with Cole Bassett in the double pivot in a 4-2-3-1. This year, while the club tried to have the same principles, the formation and lineup varied. I still don’t know what Colorado’s best lineup and formation are. Part of that is on Armas.

It needs to be mentioned that the secondary transfer window affected both seasons. Selling Moïse Bombito was the right decision but it hurt the defense in 2024. The team paid the price for all those Leagues Cup games with injuries and fatigue come October. In 2025, the transition of Chido Awaziem and Djordje Mihailović wanting to leave the club complicated things. The Rapids FO could have supported the team better or quicker in that regard. If there’s continuity in the squad for a full year, are results better? I think so.

Lastly, one complication is the contract lengths of the higher ups. President Pádraig Smith is out of contract in 2026. The club confirmed that most of the other FO staff below him are out of contract next year. I don’t think Smith and Brian Crookham are going anywhere. But, would it be responsible to have the coach on a contract that’s two or more years longer than all the other technical staff?

I can see where there are still concerns to committing to Armas long term. Surely Armas and his agent will say he’s proved himself and he can take the next step with the club. Would he sign a one-year deal and again be in a contract year trying to prove himself?

Prediction: The coach you know who’s imperfect but good is better than an unknown. Armas comes back. Contract length should be based on the higher ups’ extensions that have to at least been discussed with KSE. Won’t entertain possible replacements till the club confirms that Armas is not coming back.

Year-End Roster Decisions:

Colorado Rapids have most of their key players locked up under team control, which is good. They have ten players to make decisions on this offseason. Their deadline is November 26, the day before Thanksgiving. So they have time to figure out the coach before that, which is good.

Nico Hansen, team option for 2026, 2027: Smash the Yes Button on this one. Hansen was thrust into a starting role for a bit with Zack Steffen injured in spring. Ten starts in MLS play. The 0-1 loss to Orlando is really the only game where you can fault him on any of the goals conceded. He’s a sold backup goalkeeper taking up a Supplemental Roster spot. Let Chris Sharpe work his magic for another year with the kid.

Andreas Maxsø, team option for 2026: I think it’s time to part ways. There was that rumor in January about a possible move to the Middle East. Maxsø’s been good. But if you’re spending over $1 million salary on a former center back who’s been a Designated Player, they need to be outstanding. Fans also didn’t like his body language. I’ve described him as a Danish Cyborg with resting “I don’t want to be here face.” That narrative is overblown. The 31-year-old never had a consistent center back pattern, which hasn’t helped him. I think there’s an amicable parting of ways. Maxsø goes back home to Denmark or gets the bag in Saudi Arabia. The club pairs Rob Holding with a young exciting center back in 2026.

Michael Edwards, team option for 2026, eligible for MLS free agency pending the option: Signed with the club in 2021. He’s had some good loan stints in the USL and with Rapids 2. But he hasn’t climbed up the center back depth chart. He’ll turn 25 next month. He’s taking up a spot a younger player could be in. Good guy. Fun nickname. Let him go find a place he can start. He’ll get several calls from USL Championship clubs.

Rafael Santos, team option for 2026: A goal and three assists in 381 minutes after the trade from Orlando. He was fantastic down the stretch. He out Vines-back-ed Sam Vines. Smash the Yes Button.

Jackson Travis, team option for 2026 and 2027: Travis finally broke into the first team squad. Made nine starts. After the first few, did not look out of place. That red card at LAFC was tough. Then he went on loan to Birmingham Legion and played regularly. He can grow more. Pick up the option. Possibly pursue another loan pending the other fullback decisions.

Nate Jones, team option for 2026 and 2027: Jones was an early loan this year to Las Vegas Lights in the USLC. Was in and out of the lineup. Colorado knew he’d be a project. They might decline or move him. If he’s with the team in preseason, that could be make-or-break. Crush it and be with the first team or get another loan and probably let free for 2027.

Douda Amadou, team option for 2026 and 2027:

The Rapids 2 captain got just one first team appearance this year, 10 minutes off the bench. He’s gotten 23 starts for R2. From what I’ve seen in first team training and R2 games, I don’t know that he’s closer to challenging for first team minutes. If the club wants to pick up his option to let him lead R2 again, I’d be fine with it. But like with Edwards, if you’re not progressing, you’re taking a spot from a younger player who might. I would decline the option.

Sam Bassett, team option for 2026, 2027, and 2028: Pick up the option. He got in 15 first team games. Hasn’t clicked offensively, yet. Maybe he scores that chance at Portland, we’re having a different conversation. But Cole’s little brother has bossed the midfield in 13 games for R2. Give him more time but 2026 could be make-or-break like it was for Oli Larraz in 2024.

Darren Yapi, team option for 2026: Break the Yes Button. He had 8 goals and 2 assists as a backup to Rafael Navarro. Those goals at Seattle and Minnesota will go down as lore. He has such a bright future. I’d pick up the option and offer him a multi-year extension $400-500k annual salary.

Noah Cobb, purchase option: The U-20 World Cup vet came on loan from Atlanta United. There is a purchase option. BW has reported it’s for $500k in 2026 GAM. TransferMarkt has his value at over $1 million. I think he showed enough. Unless there’s something big in the works involving other center backs, pick up the option.

Oli Larraz and Calvin Harris, out of contract, eligible for free agency: I’ve put these two together because their situations and my view on them are both similar. Both got plenty of minutes in 2024 and more in 2025. They’re great third or fourth pieces at their position. Harris getting 10 goals next year starting with Rafael Navarro, Alexis Manyoma, and Paxten Aaronson is good. Larraz being the pivot compliment to Cole Bassett is great. Given them both a 2+1 or 3+1 at an AAV for $400k and I have no complaints. I would be shocked if Larraz wasn’t back as a Denver kid. Harris, we’ll see.

Offseason Schedule and Beyond:

As I mentioned, year-end roster decisions are due November 26. Free agency opens December 10. The re-entry draft stages and waivers are shortly after. The SuperDraft is December 18. MLS doesn’t have a transfer window scheduled. There’s no Expansion Draft because there’s no team joining the league next year so that makes sense. Maybe the window doesn’t open till January.

It’s a little early to speculate about free agent and re-entry targets without the year-end roster decisions. So I’ll wait on that.

For the SuperDraft, right now Colorado has six picks. They have their natural picks for all three rounds and all of Philadelphia’s from that trade last year. So they have the #10 and #30 picks in all three rounds. That’s enough assets for them to move up if Smith wants to. I think they will. We’ll see.

Big picture, the team will have an open U22 slot if they buy down Josh Atencio. I expect they will. Do they go for a higher profile center back? I could see them shuffling the fullbacks or central midfield. Sam Vines would have resale value within the league if they want to stick with Santos. Ronan could find a soft landing spot back in England if they want to play the kids. If Brazilian clubs come back in for Rafael Navarro, I would sell if it’s $9-10 million. Invest in a different attacking position and roll Yapi as the starter. This team is set at goalkeeper and winger.

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