Midfielder Jaelin Howell Agrees to Contract Extension with Gotham FC

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (June 23, 2025) - Gotham FC midfielder Jaelin Howell has signed a contract extension through the 2027 NWSL season, the club announced Monday in partnership with Dove.

Howell, 25, joined Gotham FC ahead of the 2025 season after being acquired in an offseason trade with Seattle Reign FC. Since her arrival, Howell has started every match, including both fixtures in the 2025 Concacaf W Champions Cup, where the Florida native helped Gotham win the inaugural continental competition and qualify for the 2026 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup and the 2028 FIFA Women’s Club World Cup.

In 12 NWSL appearances, Howell leads all Gotham FC players in aerial duels won (26), 14 more than the next closest teammate. She ranks second on the team in tackles (32), trailing only defender Lilly Reale, and second in recoveries (70), behind goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger. Howell scored her first goal for Gotham — and her first career NWSL regular-season goal — in a 3-0 win over the Utah Royals on June 13.

A U.S. international, Howell has made five appearances for her country, scoring one goal. She spent her first two and a half professional seasons with Racing Louisville FC and half of the 2024 campaign with Reign FC, starting 49 matches and registering three assists.

The 25-year-old had one of the best careers in collegiate soccer history, twice winning the MAC Hermann Trophy given to the top player in the NCAA and claiming two national championships with Florida State.