Sam Kerr: Injury, Baby, and Leaving Chelsea

When you’re the face of Australian women’s football and the all-time leading scorer for the Matildas, every move you make is watched closely. Sam Kerr has spent the past year navigating a ruptured ACL, an impending departure from Chelsea, and the arrival of her first child — all in the public eye. This article brings together the latest verified updates on her injury recovery, club future, and personal milestones.

Age: 31 (as of 2025) ·
Height: 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) ·
Position: Forward ·
Current club: Chelsea (until end of 2024–25 season) ·
International goals: 73 (Matildas, all-time leading) ·
Partner: Kristie Mewis

Eight key facts paint a clear picture of Kerr’s career at this moment.

The implication: across six and a half years at Chelsea, Kerr has cemented herself as one of the most decorated forwards in women’s club football, yet her immediate future remains unsettled.

Did Sam Kerr have a baby?

Yes. Sam Kerr and her fiancée, U.S. women’s national team midfielder Kristie Mewis, welcomed their first child in May 2025. The couple announced the birth on Instagram with the caption “Our little man is here, Jagger Mewis-Kerr,” as reported by ESPN (sports news outlet). The Guardian and People confirmed the birth on the same day. The baby boy’s full name, Jagger Mewis-Kerr, was shared on the couple’s social media accounts.

Who is the biological mother of Sam Kerr’s baby?

The couple has not publicly disclosed which partner carried the pregnancy. No official statement or interview has addressed the question, and media reports have respected the couple’s privacy on this detail. In November 2024, Kerr and Mewis announced they were expecting with the phrase “Mewis-Kerr baby coming 2025!” (ESPN).

This update confirms the family expansion.

Why is Kerr not playing for Chelsea?

Kerr has been sidelined since January 2024 after suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during a warm-weather training camp in Morocco. The Guardian (UK newspaper) reported that the injury occurred in early January 2024, and she underwent surgery and rehabilitation shortly after. As of the baby announcement in May 2025, she had been out of action for approximately 15 months, according to ESPN.

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor said on April 29, 2025, that she did not have a definitive timeline for Kerr’s return to competitive play (The Guardian). Earlier in the season, Bompastor had expected Kerr back in February or March 2025, but that projection slipped as her recovery progressed more slowly than hoped.

The catch: Kerr did join the squad for a mid-season training retreat in Portugal in January 2025, as noted by The Guardian, but she has not played a competitive match since the injury.

Is Sam Kerr actually leaving Chelsea?

Yes. Chelsea confirmed in March 2025 that Kerr will leave the club at the end of the 2024–25 season, bringing an end to her six-and-a-half-year stint. The club’s official statement, published on the Chelsea website, thanked her for her contributions and wished her well for the future. BBC Sport (UK public broadcaster) also reported the departure alongside the news of her baby.

When will Sam Kerr leave Chelsea after six-and-a-half years?

Her contract runs until 30 June 2025, and she will be a free agent from 1 July 2025. No announcement has been made about her next club, and speculation remains muted while she focuses on rehabilitation and family.

The pattern: free agency gives Kerr leverage, but injury uncertainty may temper offers.

Who is Kristine Mewis?

Kristie Mewis (often spelled Kristine in some sources) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for NJ/NY Gotham FC in the National Women’s Soccer League and the United States women’s national team. She has been capped over 50 times for the USWNT and won a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She and Kerr became engaged in 2023 and announced their pregnancy in November 2024.

Is Kristine Mewis LGBT?

Yes, Mewis is openly gay. She has been in a public relationship with Sam Kerr since 2021, and the couple’s engagement and baby announcement have been covered widely. PinkNews (LGBTQ+ media outlet) reported on the baby announcement and noted that the couple had faced online abuse after the pregnancy announcement, which England women’s manager Sarina Wiegman condemned (ESPN).

What is Sam Kerr’s salary?

Sam Kerr’s exact salary at Chelsea is not publicly disclosed. As is common in women’s football, individual contract figures are rarely released by clubs. However, she is widely regarded as one of the highest-paid female footballers in the world, with annual earnings estimated to be in the range of £400,000 by multiple media outlets. No official source has confirmed a specific figure, and the club does not comment on individual contracts.

The pattern: even without a confirmed salary, Kerr’s endorsement deals with Nike, Mastercard, and other brands supplement her income, and her net worth has been estimated at several million dollars by various financial publications, though those estimates are unverified.

This financial ambiguity is typical for most female players outside a few superstars.

The consequence for the Matildas and Chelsea is clear: one of the game’s most prolific forwards is navigating a dual transition — motherhood and free agency — while still recovering from a major injury. For Australian fans, the hope is that a fully fit Kerr returns to international duty in time for the next major tournament. For Chelsea, the focus shifts to rebuilding the attack without her. The choice for Kerr herself is whether to prioritize returning to the club that made her a star, or to seek a new challenge elsewhere.