NASHVILLE, TN – On Monday, Nashville SC announced their end-of-season roster decisions. Twenty-two players remain under contract heading into the 2026 season, set to begin the first week of February with the club returning to continental competition in the Concacaf Champions Cup for the first time since 2024.
Several key players are set to depart. Defender Walker Zimmerman and goalkeeper Joe Willis, fixtures at the club since their 2020 expansion season, will not return. Zimmerman leaves at the expiration of his contract, while Willis saw his 2026 contract option declined.
Ben Wright
Striker Teal Bunbury, who scored 12 goals in 117 appearances since joining the club ahead of the 2022 season, will also leave with his contract expiring. Midfielders Gastón Brugman and Bryan Acosta both had their options declined after one season with the club.
Defenders Wyatt Meyer and Tate Schmitt also leave after one season in Music City. Schmitt was signed as cover at left back, and played just 44 minutes in two appearances. Meyer, selected with the 11th pick of the 2024 MLS SuperDraft, was signed ahead of the 2025 season and made seven appearances in all competitions, starting the first match of the season and scoring a memorable game-winner in Nashville's 3-2 win over Orlando City in the US Open Cup.
The assist from Patrick Yazbek 🤯
— Golazo America (@GolazoAmerica) May 22, 2025
The goal from Wyatt Meyer ☄️🫠 pic.twitter.com/j4hPoDatku
Julian Gaines and Maximus Ekk also had their options declined. Gaines, 23, has missed 53 matches with injury over the last two seasons. Ekk spent the bulk of the season recovering from a torn ACL, scoring four goals in seven appearances with Huntsville City FC.
Taylor Washington announced his retirement from professional soccer earlier this year.
Acosta, Brugman, Bunbury, Schmitt, Willis and Zimmerman are all eligible for MLS free agency, which opens on December 10. Gaines and Meyer are eligible for the MLS re-entry draft, while Ekk is eligible for end-of-year waivers.
With Zimmerman's departure, Nashville have an open Designated Player spot. They could either sign a third DP to partner Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surridge, or switch to the 2 DP / 4 U22 Initiative player model, which would also give them an additional $2 million in General Allocation Money.
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Options exercised
- Dan Lovitz (defender)
- Alex Muyl (midfielder)
- Woobens Pacius (forward)
- Xavier Valdez (goalkeeper)
Options declined
- Bryan Acosta (midfielder)
- Gastón Brugman (midfielder)
- Maximus Ekk (forward)
- Julian Gaines (defender)
- Wyatt Meyer (defender)
- Tate Schmitt (defender)
- Joe Willis (goalkeeper)
Out of contract
- Teal Bunbury (forward)
- Taylor Washington (defender – retired)
- Walker Zimmerman (defender)
Current roster
After the roster decisions, Nashville SC have the following players under contract for the 2026 season:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Brian Schwake, Xavier Valdez
DEFENDERS (7): Chris Applewhite, Josh Bauer, Jordan Knight, Dan Lovitz, Jack Maher, Andy Nájar, Jeisson Palacios
MIDFIELDERS (8): Matthew Corcoran, Isaiah Jones, Alex Muyl, Jonny Pérez, Ahmed Qasem, Jacob Shaffelburg, Eddi Tagseth, Patrick Yazbek
FORWARDS (5): Tyler Boyd, Hany Mukhtar, Woobens Pacius, Adem Sipić, Sam Surridge
Stay tuned to SixOneFive Soccer for more analysis of Nashville's roster moves and what they need heading into the 2026 season.
