The Chiefs appear to be on the verge of receiving a much-needed defensive boost. Eric Berry‘s rumored practice return will commence on Wednesday, Andy Reid said.
This will mark the first time the three-time All-Pro safety’s practiced in more than 3 1/2 months. Afflicted with Haglund’s deformity, a heel condition, Berry has not been able to work out with his teammates since training camp.
While the 29-year-old dynamo is not out of the woods yet, with setback avoidance a key component in a return to game action, this is a major step. The Chiefs did not place Berry on IR this season. He can play in Sunday’s game against the Raiders if that’s the course of action the Chiefs believe is prudent. That may be pushing it, given what Berry’s been through, but no setbacks would put him en route to come back soon.
Kansas City currently resides atop the AFC. This franchise has not earned home-field advantage since Marty Schottenheimer‘s penultimate season, 1997, and has not qualified for a Super Bowl in 49 years. The Chiefs did not make any moves prior to the trade deadline, and as the football-following world witnessed in the electric 54-51 loss to the Rams, their defense needs all the help it can get. This would qualify as a significant on-field addition.
The Chiefs signed Berry to a safety-record six-year, $78MM contract in the 2017 offseason but have only seen him play in one game since that deal was finalized. Berry ruptured his Achilles’ tendon in Week 1 of last season. This heel condition affects his other foot.
This wouldn’t even qualify as Berry’s most improbable return, obviously, with the former No. 5 overall pick having surmounted cancer earlier in his career. He returned in 2015 to post back-to-back first-team All-Pro campaigns.
Kansas City boasts a considerable DVOA advantage over the second-best team, doing so despite carrying this metric’s No. 25-rated defense. Berry would be the second safety to return to action after a lengthy absence, with Daniel Sorensen coming off IR earlier this month.
please don’t rush him Big Red!