Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry is not practicing Wednesday, the second day of work as the team prepares to take on the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday afternoon in the AFC’s divisional round.
Berry missed practice on Friday, December 28, before he was eventually held out of the Chiefs’ final game of the season against the Oakland Raiders. Berry practiced limitedly to start this week on Tuesday, which many felt was a good sign, but he could not participate on Wednesday as he deals with his lingering heel injury.
“It’s difficult from the standpoint of he’s a real critical part of our team,” defensive coordinator Bob Sutton said when asked about the uncertainty surrounding the three-time All-Pro. “He’s an outstanding player. He’s one of our true leaders, the guys rally around him, so I think that part is always hard. You get caught up in different things in the season. But also, if you stick back for a second, you say, ‘Man, this is really hard on this guy, too, as a player. This is something he loves to do. He’s been really good at it, and as difficult as it is on us as a defensive unit or us as a team, I think for him, it’s really challenging.’
“So it’s just what it is. There’s not a lot you can do about it, and every week we’ve got our fingers crossed and hope that he can make it back and go. It’s truly—I know you guys get tired of hearing this—it really is a day to day to day thing here right now, the way it’s playing out. You just got to stay in there and go and figure out how to get other guys ready in case he can’t go.”
Berry was originally held out of the Chiefs’ first 13 games with what the team described as a sore heel, though reports, which have never been confirmed (nor denied) said Berry has what is called a “Haglund’s deformity.”
Berry eventually returned to the lineup to play 30 snaps Week 15 against the Los Angeles Chargers and played 69 snaps Week 16 against the Seattle Seahawks before what has appeared to be some sort of setback.
Sutton was asked Wednesday about who would replace Berry and linebacker Dorian O’Daniel, who hasn’t practiced at all this week, if they couldn’t play against the Colts.
Without Berry in a must-win game against the Raiders when it came to playoff home-field advantage, the safety snap count breakdown was as follows: Daniel Sorensen (63), Eric Murray (33), Jordan Lucas (32) and Ron Parker (6).
In the above breakdown, it is important to note that Sorensen and Lucas earned the start. Lucas suffered a stinger, and the Chiefs eventually removed starters in a 35-3 blowout.
It remains to be seen who the Chiefs start against the Colts if Berry cannot play once again.
A note on Dorian O’Daniel
#Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub on LB Dorian O’Daniel, who has missed two practices this week: “He’s a four-phase starter for us. He’s an important guy, so we’re keeping an eye on that one, pretty close.”
“I wouldn’t tell you,” he initially said with a smile. “We have to work guys in, obviously, and just see where guys are. The one good thing is you’re at the point of the season where if you do have to miss some reps and you get better toward to the end of the week, this is probably the time to do it. We just have to kind of roll guys through, which we try to do, anyway, but when you have a guy in question, you have to say, ‘OK,’ because that usually affects somebody else.
“Sometimes that affects special teams ... It’s going to affect Dave (Toub) and what he’s putting together, so you got to kind of stay on top of that as a total staff, too. But we just got to slide and we’ve got some different options, but we kind of have to wait and see where it’s at.” [Reply]
Originally Posted by Marcellus:
In all seriousness Otter, there isn't a roster spot being "taken". 5 guys sit every game and cant play.
We have several young guys who have never suited up for a game. Are they taking up spots too?
Its a false narrative, there isn't someone out there that could help us right now that's not on the team because of Berry, there isn't.
Are they sucking up a HUGE percentage of the salary cap, wandering on the side line for 2 years without wanting to play AND refusing to go on IR looking like they just did bong rips? Berry is being a dick. How could he be less of an asset to the team?A midget waving a hot dog could at least contribute. Berry does and done NOTHING for 2 years. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Otter:
Are they sucking up a HUGE percentage of the salary cap, wandering on the side line for 2 years without wanting to play AND refusing to go on IR looking like they just did bong rips? Berry is being a dick. How could he be less of an asset to the team?A midget waving a hot dog could at least contribute. Berry does and done NOTHING for 2 years.
Even if they cut him or he retired, he'd still be using up a huge chunk of the salary cap.
You don't seem to understand that no matter what happens at this point, the Chiefs are getting screwed. There is no easy answer. Berry can't just walk away and let somebody else play. They still have to pay him. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Sweet Daddy Hate:
Reminds me of that episode of 'King of the Hill' where the high school kid comes up 1 yard short of breaking the school rushing record because he broke a leg in a game, so the team suits him up on a Friday night and walks him across the goal line as the opposing team just makes a nice path for him to walk right on in.
I just watched that episode. I love how he drops the ball at the 1, opposing teams player picks the ball up for him, shakes his hand then waddles into the end zone. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Otter:
Where exactly did I claim he isn't getting paid? That's an AFTERTHOUGHT!
Just get the fuck out of the way for someone who can contribute. Bottom line.
Are you sure you're not the one being obtuse in this disagreement?
Take the money and leave with some dignity while not screwing your team, fans and waving you middle finger out of spite like a spoiled child.
He's not preventing anybody from playing though - that's the thing you keep saying that isn't happening.
Berry being here isn't keeping somebody else off the field. The coaching staff has REPEATEDLY shown reluctance to play other players, especially younger ones with less experience.
Berry could have walked away before the season and we'd STILL be seeing Murray, Parker, and Sorenson. They've had Jordan Lucas all season and immediately after flashing in the Bengals game, they promptly gave him ZERO playing time for like 4 weeks. [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
He's not preventing anybody from playing though - that's the thing you keep saying that isn't happening.
Berry being here isn't keeping somebody else off the field. The coaching staff has REPEATEDLY shown reluctance to play other players, especially younger ones with less experience.
Berry could have walked away before the season and we'd STILL be seeing Murray, Parker, and Sorenson. They've had Jordan Lucas all season and immediately after flashing in the Bengals game, they promptly gave him ZERO playing time for like 4 weeks.
Addressing the last paragraph: it's been 2 yearsThere would be another safety with experience at this point.Luv ya (no gay) brother! [Reply]
Originally Posted by Otter:
Addressing the last paragraph: it's been 2 yearsThere would be another safety with experience at this point.Luv ya (no gay) brother!
You're assuming the Chiefs viewed last year and this as one continuous issue. Considering he ruptured an Achilles last year and ended up on IR while this season, he stood on all the sidelines this year because he was "sore" my guess is the answer to that would be "no".
In all seriousness, I get that we all want this to end. It's not going to. He has a contract and his agent dotted every I and every T. The Chiefs are stuck with Eric Berry. I'm sure they'll make some moves this offseason but they're going to be hard-pressed to spend a lot of money on another safety while they're still paying him. [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
You're assuming the Chiefs viewed last year and this as one continuous issue. Considering he ruptured an Achilles last year and ended up on IR while this season, he stood on all the sidelines this year because he was "sore" my guess is the answer to that would be "no".
In all seriousness, I get that we all want this to end. It's not going to. He has a contract and his agent dotted every I and every T. The Chiefs are stuck with Eric Berry. I'm sure they'll make some moves this offseason but they're going to be hard-pressed to spend a lot of money on another safety while they're still paying him.
You can’t avoid addressing a position just because you have sunk cost into it. Thats poor business. [Reply]
Originally Posted by MIAdragon:
You can’t avoid addressing a position just because you have sunk cost into it. Thats poor business.
When you have a fixed budget and other areas need addressed, sometimes it's impossible. Berry's cap number isn't chump change and they have a ton of guys needing signed in the very near future.
The type of money they can afford to spend on safeties, they actually already HAVE - on guys like Lucas, Shaw (now gone), and others. They can't afford to replace Eric Berry with another Eric Berry. It's too expensive. [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
When you have a fixed budget and other areas need addressed, sometimes it's impossible. Berry's cap number isn't chump change and they have a ton of guys needing signed in the very near future.
The type of money they can afford to spend on safeties, they actually already HAVE - on guys like Lucas, Shaw (now gone), and others. They can't afford to replace Eric Berry with another Eric Berry. It's too expensive.
Yeah. Earl Thomas would've been super cheap. We had absolutely no money to spend on the S position whatsoever. [Reply]
I don't know why y'all still get worked up over Berry.
He ain't gonna play much. When he does, it won't make much difference. It's highly likely he's played his last meaningful football unless his heel can be surgically fixed and there's a lot of question about that, and even then he wouldn't play until probably mid season 2019 at the earliest. Just forget about Berry and move on. He's done. [Reply]
