Vancouver Whitecaps defender, and reigning MLS Defender of the Year, Tristan Blackmon didn’t report to the club’s first day of preseason camp, sources confirmed to ESPN.
A Whitecaps spokesperson told ESPN that players were required to be in Vancouver by end of the day on Tuesday, with entrance medical exams scheduled for Wednesday.
Multiple sources later confirmed that Blackmon didn’t show up for his physical.
The news of Blackmon’s absence was first reported by The Athletic.
At issue is a contract saga involving Vancouver, Blackmon and Inter Miami CF, with the Herons proposing an intra-MLS cash transfer of $3 million to sign the defender. But when news of the offer, originally reported by the Miami Herald, emerged, Whitecaps sporting director Axel Schuster issued a forceful denial, stating that the club wasn’t looking to move Blackmon and was trying to keep him instead.
The Las Vegas native was a mainstay along the Vancouver backline last year, helping the Whitecaps reach the final of both the Concacaf Champions League and MLS Cup.
But sources tell ESPN that talks between Blackmon and Vancouver on a new contract have now stalled. According to data from the MLS Players Association, Blackmon made $800,000 in guaranteed compensation last season, which ranked 37th among MLS center-backs.
Blackmon’s career has blossomed in Vancouver since the Whitecaps acquired him in 2022, following a four-season stint with LAFC. In addition to being named Defender of the Year in 2025, Blackmon was named an MLS All-Star and earned his first two caps with the United States last September.
