Eric Berry recently spoke to the press again, expressing his desire for a long-term deal with the Chiefs but adding he’s not optimistic.
The Kansas City Chiefs have a choice this offseason to use the franchise tag once again on Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry or sign him to a long-term extension. If this sounds familiar, it’s because they faced the same choice last season. After franchising him last year, Berry spoke out in recent weeks and indicated he would not play for the tag again.
He emphasized that point in quotes to the press on Sunday.
When asked about a potential long-term deal and how negotiations are going,
Berry specifically said, “I’m not getting my hopes up”
This could be, of course, posturing in the public before any such deal is made. Agents and even players can often plant ideas or float emotions to sway public opinion, a serious issue for John Dorsey in this instance. The Chiefs general manager certainly knows he’s facing pressure to bring back the NFL icon.
Berry was recently awarded the team’s MVP award for the season and earned another Pro Bowl nod in a career that seems destined not only for the Chiefs own Hall of Fame but a potential spot in Canton as well. Berry’s play on the field has not only been exemplary since the Chiefs took him at No. 5 overall in the 2010 NFL Draft, but he’s inspired fans off the field for his courage in his successful fight to return to the field from Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Berry is already the NFL’s highest paid safety, so it’s uncertain what his demands might be, but it’s likely to top Harrison Smith’s recent five-year, $51+ million deal signed last offseason.
...what if we drafted a player..lets say in the 6th round after we met all of our other pressing needs.
, might have to get them tickets
