RENTON, Wash. – For years, Jordan Morris has told anyone interested in asking that he’d prefer to play as a No. 9. It was the position where he felt most comfortable and that seemed to best align with his skillset.
But after spending the better part of a year rehabbing from a variety of injuries — the latest of which came less than 10 minutes into the season opener — Morris says he’s now more agnostic about his position.
“Last year was tough; physically tough, mentally tough,” Morris said a few days after scoring his first goal of the season in his first MLS start of the season. “I think I went through a lot of learning about myself and what I wanted to get out of my career. Part of that is I just want to be on the field. I want to be back playing.”
On some level, Morris said that mindset shift was a bit liberating. Even this past preseason, Morris said he was accepting of head coach Brian Schmetzer’s decision to use him as a wide player.
That didn’t help staunch his disappointment after suffering a hamstring injury less than 10 minutes into his 2026 campaign, but it did help crystalize his mindset.
“I had lost some of my love for the game,” Morris said. “A lot of that came through just being in the gym so much, and sitting out so much. I wanted to get that back, and I think part of that was accepting of doing whatever the team needs, wherever Schmetz sees me. Just being on the field is what’s going make me happy.”
It also helps that Morris has been reasonably productive regardless of where he’s been deployed.
Now playing his 11th professional season, Morris’ 92 career goals have been scored at a virtually identical rate whether playing up top or out wide. Last year, he played mostly as a No. 9 and scored five goals in 17 MLS appearances in those games. But he also scored two goals in two starts at right wing in the playoffs. This year, his goal and two of his three assists have come as a right winger.
His goal against FC Dallas was vintage stuff. Taking a well-weighted pass from Snyder Brunell, Morris’ first touch into space was perhaps a little heavy. But with FC Dallas goalkeeper Michael Collodi a little late off his line, it set Morris up perfectly for one his trademark trivela finishes, slamming the shot inside the far post with the outside of his right boot.
“We have so many good players here,” Morris said. “I think it can be dangerous from all those other positions.”
