3 Columbus Crew players who won't be back in 2026

Something new is on the horizon for Columbus. Following another super competitive season, the Crew is already getting ready for 2026. They started defining their roster and that means a few players from last year’s roster aren’t gonna make the cut. The team’s looking at some pretty big changes with a bunch of major transfers and roster moves. Next year’s crew will most definitely have a slightly different feel to it.

So, here are three players who put on the black and gold in 2025, but won’t be joining the crew again in 2026.

3 Columbus Crew players who will lose that title in 2026

Rudy Camacho

Defender Rudy Camacho will finish the 2025 season understanding it will be his final one in Black & Gold. The French-born center-back re-signed with the Columbus Crew in December of 2023 for a contract that ends at the end of the 2025 MLS season.

Camacho has been a linchpin on the backline since arriving July 2023 via trade from CF Montréal, and his experience and stability have been enormous. It might also be pretty evident, as he’s under contract until December 31, 2025, and he was sidelined for most of the year with an injury, he won’t be on the Crew’s roster in 2026. So his final season was an opportunity for him and the club to close a chapter. His part of the story is done, his next chapter to be written.

Darlington Nagbe

After 15 years in the MLS, Nagbe announced back in October 2025 that he’d be hanging up his boots after the postseason  bringing the curtain down on an absolutely outstanding career.

Darlington Nagbe’s time in Columbus was defined by his calm leadership and his day in ,  day out consistency. As captain, he pretty much led from the front, controlling the midfield with ease and setting the tone for his teammates  - the whole calm and collected captain thing that you just can’t help but want for your team.

For Crew fans ,  he’ll be remembered not just for his skills on the pitch but for the kind of professional he was . Always composed, always there and a steady presence every match.

Jacen Russell‑Rowe

Russell-Rowe began 2025 with a contract expiring December 31, 2025 with just one year beyond that as club option, and so it’s not certain that he will return for 2026.

Over the course of the year, he showed improvement: his stats were 7 goals and 1 assist, 32 shots on goal. He also had an impact on the playoffs, assisted and scored his first career playoff goal in the Crew’s 4–0 win over FC Cincinnati on November 2.

But the season also presented ongoing questions: while there were bursts of productivity his minutes were inconsistent, he was a starter one week and a substitute the next, with overall consistency being elusive.

For Columbus, 2025 was kind of a prove-it year. Russell-Rowe has shown attacking talent worth investing in, but has also created uncertainty. With the option year up in the air, the club has to determine whether to commit long-term or move in a different direction for 2026.

Of course, letting players like Camacho and Nagbe go adds some uncertainty to the overall dynamic, but Columbus has gone through transitions before.

The front office has adapted the roster over the years and maintained contextually competitive teams, and 2026 will be another chapter in that story. The Crew might look a bit different next year, but if recent history rings true, they’ll still be there when it matters most.