Atlanta United Mid-season Performance Evaluations: Defenders and Goalkeeper

among Eastern Conference teams, only D.C. United have allowed more goals

via Atlanta United

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Before the season began, we ran a series called “Performance Evaluations” that looked back at each returning player’s 2024 and took our best shot at what their 2025 might look like. Some were optimistic (Hi, Bartek), some were skeptical (Hi, Alexey), and some were a psyop based on utilizing per 90 stats to kickstart flame wars about certain players that would in theory boost clicks to the article (Jk we would never do that) ((Hi, Edwin)).

As we continue to try and find the black box on Atlanta United’s 2025 season, I thought it might be instructive to look back at the preseason evaluations and compare them to the actual performances. We’ve already tried to figure out what’s up with Latte Lath, Miguel Almirón, the other forwards and wingers, and the midfielders. Today, we’ll wrap this up by looking at the members of Atlanta United's nearly conference-worst defense. There are…there are a lot of expiring contracts, I’ll put it that way.

Stian Gregersen | 2024 g+/96: 0.06 in 1987 minutes | 2025 g+/96: 0.06 in 663 minutes | Probable cap hit: $1.6 million — Very close or at Max TAM | Contract length: 2027, option for 2028

Since arriving in Atlanta in 2024, Gregersen has played 2606 of 5040 possible minutes (excluding stoppage). That’s 51.7% of his possible minutes. And that number is only going to get worse over the next few weeks as he continues to recover from another injury.

Gregersen is perhaps the best embodiment of what’s gone wrong for Atlanta United over the last couple of years. In theory, he should be a solid signing. When he’s on the field, he usually looks the part. But he got to Atlanta and, despite relatively minimal injury problems in his career, his tendons suddenly became made of Nature Valley bars.

His injury issues will be the defining feature of his time in Atlanta. They’ve gotten so prevalent that our own Rob Usry has even suggested Gregersen as a buyout candidate. There’s a decent argument for it. He’s not going to get healthier as he ages and as he piles up more injuries. If he’s not going to be on the field while taking up a Max TAM spot (basically the highest budget charge you can have while not being a Designated Player), then it makes sense to consider using your one remaining buyout this season and utilizing that cap space either this window or the next.

Maybe the club has internal data that suggests he’ll actually be fine going forward and they decide to hold onto a player that, again, generally looks very effective when on the field and could be a part of a truly great center back pairing with the right partner. But from the outside looking in, all you can see is a mainstay on the weekly injury report.

Derrick Williams | 2024 g+/96: 0.01 in 2543 minutes | 2025 g+/96: 0.00 in 1258 minutes | Probable cap hit: $447,500 | Contract length: 2025, option for 2026