Sporting Kansas City adds speedy forward. Here’s how he can help as season nears
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- Sporting KC signed Calvin Harris to a 1.5-year deal with 2027-28 option.
- Harris adds pace to stretch defenses and deliver endline service for Joveljic.
- First signing under coach Raphael Wicky; roster at 18 players, more additions needed.
Sporting Kansas City’s roster has lacked some athleticism in recent years.
That figures to change a bit with the signing announced by the club on Thursday morning.
Sporting KC has acquired Calvin Harris, signing the forward to a 1 1/2-year contract with a club option for the 2027-28 season.
Harris, 25, spent the last three seasons with the Colorado Rapids and recorded a career-high five goals in Major League Soccer competition in 2025. He also posted four assists in all competitions with the Rapids.
Harris addresses Sporting KC’s need for speed. In soccer terms, he is full of pace, loves to stretch the opponent’s back line and has good delivery from wide. He’s also technical with the ball and has worked to better his defensive game.
He was MLS’ fastest free agent, according to data from Sportec, reaching a top speed of 22.2 mph during matches this past season.
Sporting KC has lacked an option for stretch an opponent’s back line. Mason Toye provided it from a central striker’s standpoint toward the back half of the 2025 season.
While winger Shapi Suelymanov was more of a dribbler with a penchant for cutting inside and taking a shot, Harris brings an alternative style: He is someone who forces the back line to either respect his speed and drop off, or push higher and risk getting burned in behind.
His ability to dribble to the end line and behind the defense to provide service into the box could complement Dejan Joveljic’s elite poacher tendencies. He can also play off the left-hand side.
Originally picked second overall by FC Cincinnati in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft, Harris was traded to the Rapids ahead of the 2023 season. He has 11 goals and 10 assists in MLS play and 22 goals and 11 assists overall for his professional career (including MLS Next Pro).
A native of Middlesbrough, England, Harris played youth soccer in Hong Kong and New Zealand before landing at Wake Forest here in the U.S. He played two seasons with the Demon Deacons before signing a Generation Adidas contract with Major League Soccer and being drafted second overall.
While this isn’t Sporting KC’s first signing of the offseason, it’s the first since Raphael Wicky’s hire as the team’s new head coach. Sporting KC will need plenty more signings in coming weeks, too, as the club’s roster remains at just 18 men, 14 of whom are outfield players.
Sporting KC’s first game of the 2026 season is on Feb. 21 against the San Jose Earthquakes. Preseason awaits before then.
Daniel Sperry covers soccer for The Star. He can be reached at sperry.danielkc@gmail.com.
This story was originally published January 15, 2026 at 10:00 AM.