Jason Shokalook signed to Chicago Fire first team
Jason Shokalook has signed a first team MLS deal with the Chicago Fire, the club announced this morning. Shokalook won the MLS Next Pro Golden Boot in 2025.
“We are continuing to build a competitive roster that is committed to getting better every single day,” said Director of Football and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter. “As a young player, he still has a lot of potential, but he also has enough experience and quality to be a contributor in MLS and we’re excited to welcome him officially to the Chicago Fire first team.”
Shokalook, who turned 23 this fall, has spent two seasons with Fire II after he was drafted in the second round out of Akron in December 2023. He had a very quiet 2024 season in which he scored just two goals, but unexpectedly burst into his own with 21 strikes this year. The highlight, in MLS Next Pro at least, was a four-goal haul in a 9-2 drubbing of New York Red Bulls II at the end of July.
Additionally, Shokalook was called up to the Fire first team twice, making one appearance. He came off the bench for the final 16 minutes of the 7-1 drubbing of D.C. United on June 7th, providing the assist on Brian Gutiérrez's 91st-minute goal. He sat on the bench a week later for the 2-0 loss to Nashville SC.
Shokalook will be placed on the Fire's supplemental roster for the 2026 season. Currently, that roster has two players too many, but things will shift as it is still very early in the offseason. The other players on the supplemental roster currently are: Jonathan Dean, Jeff Gal, Omari Glasgow, Chris Mueller, Justin Reynolds, Dean Boltz, Dylan Borso, Christopher Cupps, David Poreba, Sergio Oregel, and Sam Williams. Robert Turdean was an off-roster homegrown player in 2025 and as of right now seems likely to stay there.
In terms of the depth chart, Shokalook seems like a like-for-like replacement for Tom Barlow as a depth striker on the first team. Barlow had just one start all season and scored in just one game, as Hugo Cuypers had the vast, vast majority of the minutes up front. It's possible the Fire could go out and sign a higher-level #2 striker this offseason, or they will continue to depend on Cuypers and ride with Shokalook and Poreba as depth options.
