CHESTER, Pa.— The Philadelphia Union on Wednesday continued their trend of offseason transactional moves, making two roster decisions on the day. First, the club announced it had signed midfielder Ben Bender to a new contract. Later, the Union announced they had acquired Nashville SC’s waiver position in exchange for signing priority over Isaiah LeFlore.
Regarding Bender, the club announced Wednesday morning that the former Union Academy player and 2022 MLS SuperDraft No. 1 overall pick is guaranteed to be under contract through June 2027, with an option for June 2028.
The 24 year old Maryland native joined Philadelphia in May of last year after being waived by Charlotte FC earlier in April.
After an impressive collegiate career at the University of Maryland, which included First Team All-American honors and unanimous Big Ten Midfielder of the Year recognition in 2021, Bender signed a Generation adidas contract ahead of the 2022 MLS SuperDraft, allowing him early entry into the league. He was selected first overall by Charlotte FC.
In his first season with Charlotte, Bender appeared in 31 matches across all competitions, scoring six goals and adding three assists. However, after an impressive rookie campaign, the midfielder suffered a significant knee injury late in the 2023 season and was never able to find consistent minutes with the club thereafter. He was loaned to USL Championship side Tampa Bay Rowdies for the remainder of the 2024 season.
Overall, during his time with Charlotte, Bender made 51 MLS appearances, scoring seven goals and recording eight assists.
Last season with the Union, Bender made his first-team debut in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. He appeared in seven matches overall, posting a career best 82 percent pass completion rate across 320 minutes.
“When given opportunities, he’s consistently made the most of them, bringing a high level of competitiveness and a strong work ethic to the pitch every day. We’re confident in his continued development and future impact with the team,” said Union head coach, Bradley Carnell via a club statement.
From the outside, the move may leave some questioning why the club opted to bring back a player who saw limited minutes last season. However, with Philadelphia set to compete in the Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup, international breaks, and the inevitability of injuries over the course of a season, coupled with the benefit of giving Bender a full preseason, the decision strengthens the Union’s depth. As Carnell noted, the move also supports Bender’s continued development, with the hope that he can recapture some of his 2022 form, which would be a significant boost for Philadelphia in 2026.
If you’re interested in learning more about Bender’s journey, Todd Lewis of the Free Kick Podcast interviewed him last season following his arrival in Chester on Lewis’ Substack, which is well worth checking out.
Later Wednesday afternoon, the Union announced they had acquired Nashville SC’s waiver position in exchange for signing priority over Isaiah LeFlore.
Nashville shortly afterward announced that they had signed LeFlore through the 2026 season, with options for 2027 and 2028.
LeFlore’s time in Philadelphia did not unfold as either he or the club had hoped. He joined the Union ahead of the 2024 season following a stint with Houston Dynamo 2 but missed the entirety of the year after suffering a knee injury early in preseason, spending the season recovering from surgery.
In 2025, LeFlore featured for Union II, appearing in 20 matches and recording one goal and three assists in MLS NEXT Pro play. Unable to break into the first-team lineup, the Minnesota native was loaned to USL Championship side Detroit City FC for the remainder of the season, where he appeared in 11 matches and scored once.
During the offseason, Philadelphia declined his option, making him a free agent. LeFlore will now head to Nashville seeking a fresh start, where he will add depth to B.J. Callaghan’s squad while competing for minutes behind starting left back Daniel Lovitz.
Main Article Photo Courtesy of the Philadelphia Union/Union II
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