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]
I say cut him with post June 1st designation and move on.
Berry is going to prevent that by waiting to have his surgery. They will have to negotiate an injury settlement then. Berry will force them to pay out the ass. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Marcellus:
People keep saying this but had had the surgery he would have missed the season. So what difference does it make?
Hindsight is awesome but the fact is he appeared to be 100% healthy heading into camp. You really blow the guy up for a season ending surgery over a sore heal? How often if ever has that been predicted?
Do you not think had they KNOWN how this was going to play out they would went another direction?
Its a mess, it sucks but given the options Im not sure they did handle it wrong.
You mean the same sore heel that caused him to overcompensate and blow out his Achilles in the other foot a year prior? [Reply]
Originally Posted by Superturtle:
Chiefs couldn't have possibly handled this any worse if he really doesn't play Saturday.
Yes but not really. I'm pretty sure it was only the fans who were pushing the whole, "he'll be ready by October-week six-Hanukkah-week 10-Ramadan-the playoffs"(!)-bullshit. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Superturtle:
You mean the same sore heel that caused him to overcompensate and blow out his Achilles in the other foot a year prior?
What part of his heal wasn't sore going into TC do you not understand?
So he starts getting a sore heal in TC, you think they should have immediately scheduled him for season ending surgery? Seriously? [Reply]
Originally Posted by Marcellus:
People keep saying this but had had the surgery he would have missed the season. So what difference does it make?
Hindsight is awesome but the fact is he appeared to be 100% healthy heading into camp. You really blow the guy up for a season ending surgery over a sore heal? How often if ever has that been predicted?
Do you not think had they KNOWN how this was going to play out they would went another direction?
Its a mess, it sucks but given the options Im not sure they did handle it wrong.
He wasn't 💯 healthy. Even if you're in denial and unwilling to admit it, the bone spurs almost certainly date back to 2017 or earlier. How else do you explain heel pain in the same foot during 2017 preseason?
And getting the surgery in augior September is a huge difference. He'd possibly be healthy by the spring and his contract wouldn't be guaranteed for injury. Now he will likely miss all of OTAs and minicamp and we'll go into another preseason questioning his availability and day to day status. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Marcellus:
What part of his heal wasn't sore going into TC do you not understand?
So he starts getting a sore heal in TC, you think they should have immediately scheduled him for season ending surgery? Seriously?
The exact same heel was sore in 2017 training camp. If you're too dense to see the signioor relevance of that then I can't help you. His heel issues were known well before 2018 and he or the team didn't do their due diligence to make sure he was physically ready and capable. [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
They should have never re-signed him. I wish that weren't true but it is. They should have let him walk, cancer or not.
Spilt milk.
Like I said earlier I think where they fucked up was franchising him instead of getting him cheaper sooner and being another year along in the contract at this point which would make cutting bait even cheaper.
People forget he played on the franchise tag and had an All Pro season. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Marcellus:
Berry hasn't played all season and we give up an average of 3 pts less than the other teams road scoring average at home.
The colts scored around 24pts per game on the road this season. If that holds true that puts the Colts at 21pts.
Thats far cry from needing to score 50.
Indy is going to score at will on our defense, imo. [Reply]
