Pair of 24-year-old defenders sign after spending first leg of preseason on trial
(Feb. 3, 2026) – Sporting Kansas City has signed 24-year-old defenders Wyatt Meyer and Jayden Reid via free agency, the club announced today. Meyer and Reid – who both spent the first leg of the 2026 preseason with Sporting in Florida – have signed one-year MLS contracts through the 2026 season with club options for the 2027 and 2027-2028 seasons.
“We are pleased to welcome Wyatt and Jayden to the first-team roster after performing well in preseason,” President of Soccer Operations & General Manager David Lee said. “Wyatt and Jayden have adapted quickly to the demands of the coaching staff and have integrated seamlessly into the group during preseason while showing a clear commitment to the club. They each enjoyed standout collegiate careers and have already shown their potential in MLS.
“Wyatt is a left-footed player that can play both center back or in the midfield and his versatility will provide valuable depth and competition. Jayden is an athletic left back with MLS experience that has the characteristics and profile that we are looking for in that position.”
Meyer joins Sporting after spending the first year of his professional career with Eastern Conference side Nashville SC. After being selected as the 11th overall pick in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft out of the University of California, Berkeley, Meyer joined Nashville for preseason in 2025 and signed with the team ahead of the season.
The Berkeley, California native made eight appearances for Nashville in his rookie year, including starts in the team’s opening two matches of the 2025 MLS season – making his debut with a 90-minute outing in a 0-0 draw against New England on Feb. 22, 2025. Meyer scored his first professional goal with a long-range winner late in Nashville’s 3-2 win over Orlando City in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 last May.
Collegiately, Meyer tallied four goals and six assists in 66 appearances for the Cal Golden Bears and was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and earned All-Pac-12 First Team honors while serving as team captain in 2023.
Reid arrives in Kansas City after spending the last two seasons with St. Louis City SC. Reid made 24 appearances in all competitions for St. Louis throughout 2024 and 2025, tallying three assists in MLS regular-season action – including one on his debut for St. Louis in a 1-1 draw with Atlanta United on June 22, 2024.
A product of the Red Bull New York Academy, Reid played collegiately at the University of Connecticut from 2019-2022, tallying three goals and seven assists in 51 appearances before signing a Homegrown contract with RBNY ahead of the 2023 season.
The Elmont, New York native logged 21 appearances in MLS NEXT Pro with RBNY II in 2023 while also making his MLS debut on May 17, 2023 in a 0-0 draw at Toronto FC before heading to St. Louis ahead of the 2024 campaign.
Sporting is set to continue the club’s 2026 preseason presented by Saint Luke’s when the team travels to Palm Springs, California this week to participate in the Coachella Valley Invitational from Feb. 3-14 as the club prepares for the MLS season opener on Feb. 21 at the San Jose Earthquakes.
With the addition of Meyer and Reid, Sporting now has 20 players under contract for the 2026 season. For a full list of the club’s offseason roster moves, visit sportingkc.com/transactions.
- Goalkeepers (4):Â Stefan Cleveland, Jack Kortkamp, John Pulskamp, Ryan Schewe
- Defenders (5):Â Ian James, Wyatt Meyer, Jansen Miller, Jayden Reid, Justin Reynolds
- Midfielders (6):Â Kwaku Agyabeng, Jacob Bartlett, Zorhan Bassong, Jake Davis, Manu Garcia, Cielo Tschantret
- Forwards (5):Â Stephen Afrifa, Calvin Harris, Dejan Joveljic, Daniel Salloi, Shapi Suleymanov
Transaction: Sporting Kansas City (MLS) signs defenders Wyatt Meyer and Jayden Reid as free agents on one year MLS contracts through the 2026 season with club options for the 2027 and 2027-2028 seasons.
VITALS
Wyatt Meyer
Number: 28
Position: Defender
Birthdate: 11/12/2001 (24 years old)
Height: 6-2
Weight: 195 lbs.
College: University of California, Berkeley
Hometown: Berkeley, California
Birthplace: Berkeley, California
Citizenship: USA
Instagram: @wy.meyer
VITALS
Jayden Reid
Number: 99
Position: Defender
Birthdate: 8/29/2001 (24 years old)
Height: 6-0
Weight: 180 lbs.
College: University of Connecticut
Hometown: Elmont, New York
Birthplace: Elmont, New York
Citizenship: USA, Jamaica
Instagram: @jayyreidd
