MLS reportedly eyeing NFL media exec as Don Garber successor

Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

The NFL is the most successful and profitable sports league in the world. So it only makes sense that other sports leagues would look to the shield to find individuals to lead their own sports. And MLS is no exception as they have begun the search for who will succeed commissioner Don Garber.

Garber has overseen Major League Soccer for the past quarter century. He joined the league initially in 1999 from where else but the NFL. In that time, MLS has seen incredible growth from 12 to 30 teams. The league has welcomed global superstars from David Beckham to Lionel Messi.  Soccer-specific stadiums have spawned all around the country and the 2026 World Cup will only hope to boost the domestic league even more.

Of course, there have also been question marks around Garber’s reign. There is the continued lack of promotion and relegation and the high dependance on expansion franchises to boost the league’s value. Franchises have come and gone with the potential relocation of the Vancouver Whitecaps threatening to cast a cloud over the current MLS season. Then there is the polarizing Apple TV deal that has seen the league go all-in with the tech giant to mixed results.

Garber’s contract expires at the end of 2027 and it appears that MLS will finally be ready to turn over a new leaf in leadership. And according to Puck’s John Ourand, a few names have already started to rise to the forefront. They include Big XII commissioner Brett Yormark and LAFC owner Larry Berg. But the most intriguing name and potentially the one that makes the most sense is NFL media chief Hans Schroeder.

Schroeder would be an excellent choice for Major League Soccer given he handles the league’s massive media deals as the league’s Executive Vice President of Media Distribution. He currently has a lot of work on his plate with the that will have potentially hundreds of billions of dollars at stake.