FILE – In this November 15, 2015, file photo, Kansas City Chiefs free safety Eric Berry (29) runs back an interception during the second half of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, in Denver.
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On Sunday, the former Tennessee safety signed his franchise tender, which locks up him for one season. Kansas City could tag him again, costing the team roughly $13 million against the cap.
Berry could skip training camp without being fined, and that’s what he did.
“We’re missing him right now – we want him back ASAP”, cornerback Marcus Peters said, “but we can’t do anything about it, but we for sure miss him”. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Berry should be ready to go for the season opener. After signing the contract, Berry’s next order of business was to meet with coach Andy Reid.
Berry, who had a First Team All-Pro season at safety past year after beating cancer, is expected to be ready for the Chiefs’ season opener September 11 at home against the Chargers. So he did. Berry signed the Chiefs’ one-year contract worth about $10.8 million and put aside thoughts of anything but football.
The Chiefs made Berry their franchise player after his stirring comeback from cancer, then began negotiations on a long-term deal.
“I said yesterday that you don’t count the fish until it’s in the boat”, Reid said.
“I’m confident in that, ” he said.
“The only thing is just getting used to have so many National Football League bodies flying around”, Berry said. “I can’t change that”.
“It’s a weird dynamic that you are juggling with finances and playing”, Reid said earlier in camp, “but I’ve seen it before, guys normally come in and they just go”. The defensive leader watched the Chiefs’ games on TV and saw his teammates making adjustments.
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The Chiefs continued to list Berry as the starting safety on the depth chart. I’m going to give you everything I got every snap regardless of what happened in the offseason. “They cleared that up for me”.
