Former New York Atlas defender Gavin Adler has agreed to a three-year deal with the Philadelphia Waterdogs.
Adler is coming off a career-defining 2025 season in which he won the U.S. Bank Championship and was named the Dave Pietramala Defensive Player of the Year. Adler landed at No. 15 on the Players Top 50 list this year.
With his rookie contract expiring, the 26-year-old defender became the clear top target of the player movement period. Inside Lacrosse’s Kevin Brown reported last Friday that four teams were “strongly in the running” for Adler. The Waterdogs ultimately beat out the Denver Outlaws, California Redwoods and Utah Archers.
Waterdogs head coach Bill Tierney leaned heavily on youth in 2025, fielding a defense that regularly featured five players in their first or second pro seasons. Adler now becomes the cornerstone of that group.
On the field, the fit is obvious. The Waterdogs allowed 12.7 scores per game last season, third-most in the PLL.
With Adler headlining the defense, Kenny Brower and Ben Randall can handle secondary matchups while Jimmy Freehill and Ben Wayer bring length and transition scoring. Short-stick defensive midfielders Matt Whitcher, who re-signed through 2027 earlier in the week, and Dylan Hess anchor the middle.
Adler takes the toughest assignment every game.
Notably, Adler tormented the Waterdogs in 2025, recording four caused turnovers and three ground balls against them — production that now flips sides. He’s one of the best in the league at defending Michael Sowers, holding the MVP finalist to 12 points (9G, 3A) over their last five matchups. Now, he and Sowers are teammates.
Adding Adler is an eye-popping second move at the helm for new Waterdogs general manager Dave Cottle — the lacrosse equivalent of bringing Saquon Barkley to Philadelphia.
