Clint Dempsey expects to return to the field in 2017

Clint Dempsey is out for the rest of 2016 with an irregular heartbeat but is planning on a return next season.

The Seattle Sounders announced Tuesday that Clint Dempsey would be out for the rest of this season due to the irregular heartbeat issue that has kept him out since late August. After returning to light training, Dempsey suffered a setback–but it isn't necessarily career-ending.

Sources say that Dempsey expects to be back on the field in 2017, though he also doesn’t want to take any chances with his heart. Dempsey, 33, is married and has four children under the age of 8, and in situations like this one his long-term health prospects are what’s most important.

Dempsey's Seattle contract runs through the end of 2017.