Desire to “be part of something big” brought Jack Elliott to Chicago

For the second year in a row, the Fire have landed one of the top free agents available in MLS. Last year, it was Kellyn Acosta, this year, it is Jack Elliott, the center back formerly of the Philadelphia Union.

Although the two players are now teammates, the two were on opposite ends of the pitch for MLS Cup 2022, where Elliott, a defender who has 10 goals in 223 regular season matches in MLS, scored an unlikely brace, including a goal well into stoppage time after extra time that seemed all but certain to secure the championship for the Union until a late Gareth Bale equalizer and eventual defeat in penalties.

That match was just one of a number of highlights for Elliott, who was drafted by the Union ahead of the 2017 season. MIR97 Media caught up with Jack Elliott ahead of the 2025 season to talk to him about his decision to move on from the Union and his hopes for his first season in Chicago.

A “tough” but “necessary” step to leave Philadelphia

Elliott clearly cared deeply about the Union. Last year, after the team’s defeat in Chicago last July, where the Fire managed to turn a 3-1 scoreline in the 82’ into a 4-3 victory by the final whistle, Elliott was one of the last players to leave Philadelphia’s dugout following the shock loss.

Asked how hard it was to leave his only professional club, the London, England native didn’t hold back, saying “it was hard. I think being in one place eight years, you build a relationship with the club and the city. Realizing it was coming to an end, it was tough, but I think it was a necessary step.”

Even if his entire pro career has been with the Union, Elliott hasn’t been far from Fire connections. Jim Curtin, his coach the entire time he was in Philadelphia, spent the majority of his playing career with the Fire, where, like Elliott with the Union, his hard-nosed play at center-back made him a fan favorite in a city proud of its blue-collar origins.

Asked about Curtin, Elliott said “I know he was a huge, huge player here, and, you know, I have a good relationship with him. I think it’s just hard for both of us given what happened last year,” as the Union failed to make the postseason for the first time since 2017 and Curtin was dismissed after a decade as head coach.

“Loved the plan” Berhalter and staff presented

As one of the top center-backs in the league over the past few seasons and as one of the top free agents available in MLS ahead of the 2025 season, Elliott had choices about his future club, but the Fire’s new coaching staff wooed him to Chicago. ”I talked to Gregg [Berhalter, the Fire’s new head coach and director of football] and some of the other staff,” Elliot said, “and I loved the plan. Not even just the plan, the things the club has already started to do and has started to progress on, and then the plan Gregg was sharing with me also just increased my desire to come here and be a part of that and be something big.”

2025 goals: “Lowest end of goals conceded,” but that’s not all

Asked what he hopes to accomplish personally, Elliott quickly shifted the focus to the collective:  “As a defender, I’m always looking to help the team concede the least goals that you can. This is obviously a team effort, but it falls heavily on the defenders and your goalkeeper to organize everyone to help with that. That would be the main goal, to be at the lowest end of goals conceded.”

Despite those defensive responsibilities, Elliott isn’t focused entirely on that end of the pitch. “On the opposite end, it’s important for a center-back to be able to help with some goals from set pieces,” something that, at a listed 6’6”, he may be uniquely qualified to do, adding “I want to be able to do that again and get on the end of a few set pieces, get a few goals.”