REPORT: Eric Berry has a Haglund’s deformity on his heel
New information on Berry’s sore heel injury emerged on Saturday.
By Pete Sweeney Sep 29, 2018, 1:15pm CDT
Eric Berry has not practiced or played for the Kansas City Chiefs since August 11 in St. Joseph, Missouri, because of what the team has described as a “sore heel.”
The last we heard from the Chiefs athletic training staff was in early September, when head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder described the injury as “literally day to day.”
More information on Berry’s injury emerged Saturday morning, via NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo:
Mike Garafolo: “My understanding, and I’ve spoken to people familiar with his injury situation. He’s got what’s called a Haglund’s deformity in that Achilles. That’s a bone spur that basically digs into the Achilles. Shaun O’ Hara, our colleague at NFL Network, he had it. I spoke to him this week. He said it is extremely painful. He actually used a more colorful word that I won’t use here. It’s just something that continues to irritate the area. Some guys have been able to play with it—you get a shoe here or there, you can adjust … but that’s what’s going on. It’s going to be a pain management thing. It’s not like this thing will tear the Achilles necessarily. A lot of these cases don’t result in a tear, but that’s why with Berry right now, he has not played, and they’ve been doing OK. That’s going to allow them a little bit more patience with Berry, but it is extremely painful.”
This provides a little more clarity than Berry’s injury simply being a “sore heel,” which is good, but what’s bad is there still seems to be no timetable. Remember, Berry missed nearly the entirety of the 2017 season due to a ruptured Achilles on the other leg.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was mum on the injury when asked about it Saturday afternoon after the Chiefs’ final practice of the week.
Berry is officially ruled doubtful heading into the Monday night game against the Denver Broncos.
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Here are the notes from our in-house medical expert, Aaron Borgmann:
A lot of talk today regarding something known as a Haglund’s deformity. It was reported by a media source that the player in question suffers from this condition. This discussion is not to confirm or deny that possibility, as I can only explain the available information that we have been given. To be clear, the team has not confirmed this diagnosis and I have no advance knowledge of the player’s current condition.
The simple explanation here that it is indeed a bone spur on the backside of someone’s heel. This is frequently known as a “pump bump” from the occurrence that it is often seen in women’s fashion from the shoes that they wear. However, incidence in football players is also common, sometimes referred to as “retrocalcaneal bursitis” as well.
The bone spur irritates the bursa (fluid-filled sac) that sits between the bone and the tendon or even the tendon itself directly. This can cause a great deal of inflammation and discomfort with any sort of dynamic ankle/foot movement, worse with pressure on the spot itself.
Having one in and of itself it not uncommon, but the degree to which it bothers someone is the issue. Depending upon demands of movement, these can range from debilitating to just a nuisance. Obviously, in football players, the degree of inflammation is what dictates the level of function.
These are diagnosed both visually and radiographically and it is a situation where if you see it and player complains of certain symptoms (pain with movement in that exact spot, swelling, redness) then you can be pretty sure that is what it is.
Treatment focuses on reduction of inflammation obviously directly over the spot. This can be done both topically and through systemic medication. Soft tissue lengthening in both the calf and bottom of the foot is also done to alleviate the issue from both sides – this is due to the fact that both the calf and plantar fascia connect to the calcaneus (heel bone) on either side.
Not to be forgotten is footwear modification and adjustment. Very rigid shoes can cause this irritation, and in some athletes, I would even cut the shoe in the heel to allow room for the bump. Other options include specialized padding and friction reduction methods. Heel lifts have been shown to be helpful in some.
For this condition, non-surgical intervention is preferred to reduce the inflammation as opposed to surgical due to the immobilization period.
If the inflammation can be reduced and the function level high, many players learned to adapt their daily routines to accommodate. They may have to put in a bit more time in order to get ready due to the condition’s demands but can nonetheless get by and still perform at a high level. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Coach:
I'm not upset at Berry because of the situation. I'm upset at the Chiefs for multiple reasons. They have not been forthcoming to the media or fans on the type of injury, other than "heel/foot", whereas this situation was much worse than they're letting on.
In hindsight, the Chiefs should had placed him on IR (with the designation to return) thus freeing up a roster spot for someone else who can actually help the team, specifically, the defensive side.
Nope, they ****ed up.
Sorry, but do you really think missing a roster spot for someone with the talent level of a Ward or a Lucas who have been invisible last-minute pick ups is what’s been the Achilles Heel (too soon?) of this defense? [Reply]
Originally Posted by DaFace:
It's not his fault necessarily, but his inability to stay healthy may be the reason we miss a Super Bowl run. He got a huge contract and has been useless since.
It just sucks and is hard to swallow since he fought the team so hard on that contract.
It sucks. I fully agree with you on that. But I don’t for a second begrudge the guy because he fought so hard to get that contract. That’s exactly what any athlete should be doing and certainly one with a potentially recurring terminal illness. [Reply]
Originally Posted by TwistedChief:
Sorry, but do you really think missing a roster spot for someone with the talent level of a Ward or a Lucas who have been invisible last-minute pick ups is what’s been the Achilles Heel (too soon?) of this defense?
Well, considering that Berry haven't played for almost a year and with this coming up, it just makes sense to put him on IR. Since that thing requires rest, as the article has mentioned, the Chiefs could had find a safety either by FA or trade.
Really, Murray is just bad, and the point is to get him off the field. The corner play have not been terrible by any means of the imagination. But they look bad because of awful safety play. I'd be curious to see where the overall breakdowns occur, but I would not be one bit surprised if that happened on Murray's area. [Reply]
Originally Posted by TwistedChief:
It sucks. I fully agree with you on that. But I don’t for a second begrudge the guy because he fought so hard to get that contract. That’s exactly what any athlete should be doing and certainly one with a potentially recurring terminal illness.
It's fine. It's just contrary to this narrative of Berry being one of the best Chiefs ever. His contact could damage the team for years.
Look at the contracts DJ and Tamba got over the years. Perfectly fair to both sides, and they'll both be in the Chiefs HOF someday.
I'm not quite sure Berry will be there at this point, and the contract and lack of production since plays into that. [Reply]
Originally Posted by TwistedChief:
It sucks. I fully agree with you on that. But I don’t for a second begrudge the guy because he fought so hard to get that contract. That’s exactly what any athlete should be doing and certainly one with a potentially recurring terminal illness.
Originally Posted by TwistedChief:
Sorry, but do you really think missing a roster spot for someone with the talent level of a Ward or a Lucas who have been invisible last-minute pick ups is what’s been the Achilles Heel (too soon?) of this defense?
Originally Posted by TwistedChief:
Wow - it’s amazing how quickly this board turns on someone like Berry. He’s been a true professional his entire career and everyone is questioning his motives and determination. I guess he never beat cancer or anything like that and came back with an epic season where he was far and away our most impactful defensive player.
I’m as disappointed as anyone that he’s not on the field and you can blame Dorsey and the Chiefs for giving him that contract. But people are talking about Berry like he’s a guy who just got his big money contract and mailed it in after that. Like he’s a guy with character issues. Amazing.
I'm frustrated with Eric Berry and his inability to play since he signed his massive extension, but that's ultimately not his fault. I'm fucking fed up with this team lying through their teeth about the severity of injuries. [Reply]
Originally Posted by TwistedChief:
It sucks. I fully agree with you on that. But I don’t for a second begrudge the guy because he fought so hard to get that contract. That’s exactly what any athlete should be doing and certainly one with a potentially recurring terminal illness.
The Chiefs showed unprecedented support for him....they literally paid him while he was getting treatment. They could have reached an injury settlement and had every right to do so. He wasn't playing football and there was no indication he would ever again. They went above and beyond..
From my understanding, Dorsey wanted to contractually protect the Chiefs...which is his job as GM. It's a smart move as Berry just went through Chemo..and his contract was a blockbuster. You would think EB would understand the financial risk involved in signing him...instead Berry cut him out of the loop...essentially went straight to Hunt.
And now KC has a financial shit-show on it's hands. [Reply]