San Jose Earthquakes re-sign defender Paul Marie

The San Jose Earthquakes announced Friday they have signed defender Paul Marie to a new multi-year contract.

The 25-year-old notched career highs in games played and minutes in 2020, 12 and 353, respectively, in his three-year MLS career, all with the Quakes. Typically a backup at fullback, Marie also notched his first career goal in MLS this season.

“Paul is a player we felt had the potential to compete in MLS upon selecting him during the 2018 SuperDraft,” said Earthquakes general manager Jesse Fioranelli in a team statement. “Over the past three seasons, Paul has continued to develop and earn the trust of the coaching staff which is why we believe Paul can contribute even more to the team in the future.”

It’s an intriguing move for the Quakes, since Marie has not been a starter and does not look like he would necessarily be one if the starters return in 2021. Having said that, every team needs depth and having a reliable option off the bench or making spot starts, with the potential to get better in the future, certainly makes it a logical move. Add to that, Marie’s contract is likely at a good price point for the position for San Jose, and why make change for the sake of change in this case, right?

The Earthquakes are expected to be making more announcements about the roster soon, so we’ll keep you posted when those drop.

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