Why These FC Dallas Players Could Feel Like New Signings in 2026

FC Dallas brought in a lot of new players ahead of their 2025 season a year ago. The roster was overhauled ahead of manager Eric Quill’s first season and it helped usher in a new era for the club.

But 2026 has been different. A lot of players returned and in some cases, there is hope that the injury bug can finally be a thing of the past and they will perform to the level that we all expect them to.

I get this probably isn’t the spin you want to hear from me about these players below, but the fact remains, this is exactly how the club sees these players going into the new season.

Paxton Pomykal

Ah, Pomykal. For what feels like the millionth time, he’s starting off the season with an injury that kept him out of all preseason matches. He trained in the preseason, which is more than he’s had in some years, but he still didn’t play in a competitive match.

As we’ve mentioned before on here, this is a make-or-break year for him. He’s on an expensive contract (hovering over $1m for the team) and eating away a spot that could go to someone more productive and healthy. This is also the final year of said contract (he’ll have a team option for next year), so it is also now-or-never for him.

We saw moments late last year when he did get healthy that he can step up and contribute. At the very least, he was a leader in the locker room, which came in handy during the club’s playoff push last season.

But, we need more out of him in 2026. Fans want to see him healthy and contributing for a starting role. If he can finally make that breakthrough on his health, he will indeed feel like a new player for the club. One that is a TAM-level guy that the team needs in the midfield.

Geovane Jesus

The young Brazilian has had two years on the shelf with various ACL issues. Two years. I bring that up because he takes up an international roster slot and an important U22 slot. At least last year, those slots weren’t in action since he was on the season-ending injury list. But still, this guy should be an asset to the club.

It is hard to remember what life was like with him before his injury two and a half seasons ago. I remember the day the club announced the injury. I was the lone media member on the call with former manager Nico Estevez. You got a sense in that moment that the club was truly devastated for the player. He was on the verge of a youth national team call up for Brazil, which is a big deal in its own right.

Going into this year, Jesus won’t have the same expectations on his shoulders as he did when he arrived. The club will likely give him the same runway as they have with Pomykal, a slow one. If he can find a way to get back to 100% and be a contributor, even better. But two years removed from a MLS field is a long time.

Part of me hopes the club gives him a buffer type of season with North Texas SC, or at least for a few months. Let him cook in a level that he should dominate, before returning him to the first team.

Enzo Newman

Unlike the two above him on this list, Newman is possibly the more intriguing one to me as he’ll likely be the last of the group to see minutes this season.

Last year’s SuperDraft pick missed the season following an ACL injury he picked up in a training session in early May. His timetable to return isn’t the same as the other two, either. More than likely when he does return to the field, it will be with North Texas SC. That isn’t a bad thing given that he missed all of last year.

I’d prefer to see him get his ‘sea legs’ back in that environment, before rejoining the first team. After all, he’ll be further down the depth charts by the time he is healthy. The club added Swedish fullback Herman Johansson this offseason, and they still have guys like Shaq Moore and potentially even Deedson, Sam Sarver or Ricky Louis ahead of him as a backup to Johansson.

Ideally, we’re seeing Newman return this spring when he’s ready, at North Texas, and by the late fall he’s ready to be with the first team.