Another staple of the Peter Vermes era won’t be returning to Sporting Kansas City in 2017.
Free agent forward Jacob Peterson has signed with MLS expansion club Atlanta United, the team announced Wednesday.
Peterson, 30, played five seasons in Kansas City, scoring a career-high six goals in 2016. He is the second player with a five-year tenure to pursue other plans after midfielder Paulo Nagamura announced his retirement earlier this month.
Like Nagamura, Peterson was highly-regarded by Vermes for his tenacity on the field. In 2016, that equaled career-best production, too. In his 11th MLS season, Peterson set career highs with 18 starts, six goals, 37 shots and 13 shots on goal.