Chiefs Plan To Do Everything They Can To Re-Sign S Eric Berry

Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt made it clear that they plan to “do everything we can” to re-sign impending free agent S Eric Berry.

“Certainly, Eric is somebody that’s very important to the franchise,” Hunt said, via the Kansas City Star. “Coach (Andy) Reid and his staff think highly of him. They appreciate the leader that he’s become, and obviously personally, he had the amazing year overcoming cancer. We’ll do everything we can to try to bring him back.”

“There’s no way that anybody who is involved in professional sports wouldn’t appreciate what he did this year and overcoming what he did and what it took to do that,” Hunt added. “You just add that to his natural leadership abilities, and he certainly was important to the team.”

Terez A. Paylor believes it could ultimately cost the Chiefs more than the four-year, $40 million extension signed by Seahawks S Earl Thomas a few years ago.

Berry says that things are in the hands of his agent right now.

“Right now, it’s in my agent’s hands,” Berry said. “With everything that went on this past year, I just want to kick it for a little bit, get the season off me, get all that off me, and then I think we’ll go from there.”

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media recently reported that the Chiefs and Berry are “ramping up” talks regarding a long-term extension, so there’s a chance that a deal could come together relatively quickly.

Berry, 27, worked his way back from Hodgkin’s lymphoma and managed to produce an impressive 2015 season. He’s now in position to be one of the best available players in the free agent market, which should net him an impressive contract.

In 2015, Berry appeared in all 16 games and recorded 61 tackles, two interceptions, and 10 pass defenses for the Chiefs. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 4 safety out of 88 qualifying players.

We have listed as the No. 5 player in our Top 2016 Free Agents list.