Kansas City Chiefs star safety Eric Berry has recovered steadily throughout the offseason after suffering a season-ending Achilles rupture in last year's season opener.
With Week 1 action just around the corner, head coach Andy Reid acknowledged Berry's status for the season opener is still up in the air given that he hasn't practiced in nearly a month, according to James Palmer of The NFL Network.
Something that seemed to go under the radar during camp and preseason: Chiefs All Pro safety Eric Berry (heel) hasn’t practiced since August 11th. Andy Reid said “We’ll see. It’s day-to-day. We’ll see how it goes” when asked today if Berry will play in the opener vs the Chargers
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) September 3, 2018
The Chiefs are counting on Berry to play a significant role in the secondary this upcoming season, as he has proven to be one of the game's top defensive backs when healthy. Unfortunately, Berry has endured a couple major injuries and health problems along the way in a NFL career nearly derailed when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. Despite that, in each instance he has returned at an elite level as an All-Pro talent. He has earned five Pro Bowl nods, three First-Team All-Pro selections, and an NFL Comeback Player of the Year award.
Berry is set to enter the first year of his six-year, $78 million extension that he signed last February that includes $40 million in guaranteed, which made him the highest-paid safety in the NFL. He is currently slated to make $13 million in the 2018 season in base salary and bonuses. There are plenty of high expectations for Berry to step back into the fold as a primary contributor defensively for an otherwise young and inexperienced unit.
Kansas City will likely continue to monitor the situation closely over the next few days, with the mindset of having him play whenever he is ready to do so physically. There is a high level of importance on Berry avoiding any setbacks that could keep him off the field longer.
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