Heading into contract year, Paul Rothrock ready to ‘earn it again’

RENTON — At virtually every stop of his soccer career, Paul Rothrock has needed to prove himself anew. Whether it was changing colleges, starting his professional career in USL-1 or needing to earn his first Seattle Sounders contract after first signing with Tacoma Defiance, fighting for his spot has been a near constant.

But after breaking out with eight goals and two assists in 2024, he was hopeful that he may have finally earned his first long-term contract extension.

It wasn’t quite that easy. With Rothrock still recuperating from an injury that cost him the last few games of 2024, the Sounders were unable to come to mutually agreeable terms on a new deal. Instead, Rothrock comes into 2025 in the final year of his contract, once again needing to prove himself.

“Staying focused on the day-to-day stuff is the most important, not getting too ahead of myself and, you know, I have to earn it again,” Rothrock said following Monday’s training session. “I know in this business, there’s always someone else coming up, there’s always someone else ready, so you’ve got earn it every day and that’s my mentality.

“If I continue to perform and keep doing what I know I’m good at, I think the rest will take care of itself.”

The 26-year-old would, of course, appreciate the stability and peace of mind that would have come with a lucrative contract extension. But for a player who’s never had a guaranteed contract beyond his current season, there’s a certain normalcy to it at the same time.

“It’s definitely frustrating at times to feel undervalued and to feel like you’re always having to prove yourself,” he said. “But it’s also gotten to me where I am. Time and time again I prove that I belong where I’m at, and once I get my foot in the door somewhere, my mindset is I pick up on things quickly. I’m coachable and try to be a really good teammate, and in the long run, those things pay off.”