Former Tennessee football safety Eric Berry is an NFL free agent, but Kansas City is working hard to keep him. Where will the UT Volunteers legend go?
Eric Berry has spent his entire career with the Kansas City Chiefs, but the former Vols star is clearly looking for a long-term deal before playing in 2017.
And now, his search could pay off.
According to a report from the Kansas City Star Monday, the Chiefs are doing everything they can to keep Berry.
While there have been rumors about him getting the franchise tag, his threat of not playing in 2017 without a long-term deal seems to be working.
At age 28, his market value is high having made two straight All-Pro appearances coming off of his return from lymphoma.
While the Star reports that the Chiefs are working hard to keep Berry, other reports are more specific.
Ian Rappaport of the NFL Network is reporting that the Chiefs are working to make Berry the highest-paid safety in the NFL.
By locking up Berry, the Chiefs would be able to put the franchise tag on defensive tackle Dontari Poe.
That would be a win-win for everybody because Kansas City clearly wants to keep both in order to hold their defense in tact.
Berry has clearly proven himself to be the best safety in the NFL, as he single-handedly won two games for his team last year. On top of that, every year he’s actually finished, he made the Pro Bowl.
And while his durability may come into question due to one season-ending injury and catching lymphoma in another season, those are the only two years he didn’t finish.
So it was two freak things that kept him from finishing years, and otherwise, he’s been incredibly reliable.
That combined with his talent and leadership make him extremely valuable, and as a result, the Chiefs know they need to keep him.