The Chiefs and safety Eric Berry are less than a week away from the July 15 deadline to come to an agreement on a long-term contract. And Berry would have hoped to be closer to a deal right now.
Berry, who so far has declined to sign the one-year, $10.8 million franchise tender, told the Kansas City Star that he’s surprised there hasn’t been more movement in contract talks.
“I thought it would progress a little bit more,” Berry said. “But it’s still been pretty much the same since the last time we talked. A lot can change in a week. A lot can change for whenever the deadline is.”
Although Berry hopes to remain in Kansas City beyond 2016, right now he doesn’t have the contract that would give him confidence that will happen.
“Obviously I’d love to be a Chief — I want to be a Chief long term, just because of the community, the staff, from top to bottom, the players and everything,” Berry said. “But sometimes things don’t go as planned, and I’m prepared for that, but hopefully it goes as planned, and I’m prepared for that, as well.”
Berry is both one of the best stories in the NFL (having come back from a cancer diagnosis to become a first-team All-Pro last year) and one of the best safeties in the NFL. He’s hoping the Chiefs will pay him accordingly, not just this year but for many more years.