Jake Davis Signs a Long-term Contract with Sporting KC

JFD. Jake ‘I’m fairly certain the F doesn’t stand for Francis‘ Davis. To earn the F in the middle of your true initials, a la JFR, Johnny Russell, means you are adored by the fan base in Kansas City. Prepare for years and years of more adoration Jake. Sporting Kansas City announced on Wednesday that Homegrown midfielder-turned-fullback, Jake Davis, will be in KC for a long time.

The 22-year-old inked a deal that is guaranteed through 2027, with a team option for the 2028 season. Previously, his contract was set to run out at the end of this season.

Monumental Ascent

Davis broke out in 2023 after a series of injuries forced him into action at right back in the US Open Cup against Tulsa Athletic and he never looked back. Up to that point in his career, he had dabbled with playing right back at times for Sporting KC II, but the vast majority of his experience had been in the midfield.

After starting the Open Cup game, Davis would go on to appear in 25 more MLS league games (he had a six-minute cameo against Seattle in March), plus all four playoff games and one more US Open Cup game. In 2024 he’s started nine of 10 games, only missing last week’s game because of a yellow card accumulation suspension. Before his breakout in 2023, Davis had only three MLS appearances for 15 minutes in his prior seasons with the club. The majority of his time had been spent with Sporting KC II where he had 62 appearances.

Before signing a pro contract with SKC II in 2019 and a first team deal in 2021, Davis was a member of the SKC Academy. He moved to Kansas City in 2017 as 15-year-old from Rochester, Michigan. He lived with a host family and made 54 appearances, adding eight goals across the U-17 and U-19 levels.

Jake Could Have Left

One thing that had been looming in the background of the 2024 season was that Jake Davis’ contract was running out. It was set to expire at the end of the 2024 season. That means, he could have signed a pre-contract with any teams in the world, outside of Major League Soccer, as early as this summer. I know Davis keeps in touch with former teammate Gianluca Busio who plays for Venezia in Italy. Who knows what other teams were on Jake’s mind. If any.

Add to that, we’ve seen players leave for free in the past. Probably the most famous prospect to leave for nothing is KC local, Erik Palmer-Brown. He left for Manchester City before going out on a series of loans before landing at Greek squad Panathinaikos.

Thankfully, Davis will be in Kansas City for years to come. Or worst case, the team sells him for a huge profit in the future to reinvest in the club.