It’s official: The Kansas City Chiefs say they have used the franchise tag to retain the services of safety Eric Berry. The franchise tag is the average of the top five salaries at the position, and Berry would command $10.8 million.
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Should general manager John Dorsey decide to go without a tag, he loses the ability to utilize it for the remainder of the offseason.
The tweet also said the Chiefs and Berry are working towards a long-term deal for the former Tennessee All-American defensive back. “He’s a special player that means a lot to our organization, the city, and has been a critical piece in building our foundation”. In Berry’s six seasons in Kansas City, he has been selected to the Pro Bowl four times.
He was diagnosed in November 2014 with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, shortly after complaining of tightness in his chest after a game against the Oakland Raiders. He was deemed cancer-free last summer, reported to training camp on time, and proceeded to have arguably the best season of his six-year career. He finished with 116 tackles, two interceptions and two forced fumbles.
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A franchise tag is a designation a team may apply to a player scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.
