Kansas City Chiefs release veteran safety Eric Berry

Berry was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease in 2015

Image: The Chiefs will save $9.55m of Eric Berry's $16.5m cap figure in 2019 after he was released

The Kansas City Chiefs have released veteran safety and cancer survivor Eric Berry, who missed nearly all of last season with a mysterious heel injury.

The five-time Pro Bowl safety would have been guaranteed $7.25m (£5.4m) of his salary if he was on the roster this Friday.

Berry was a first-round pick of the Chiefs in the 2010 draft and was a legitimate star when he was healthy, though that became increasingly uncommon.

The inevitable has happened and safety Eric Berry has been released after spending all nine years of his NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs. Berry has not played much in the past two years due to Achilles and heel injuries and was due to make $12.4m in 2019. If he is to get another shot – which of course he will – it is likely to come on a one-year ‘prove it’ deal due to the injuries. There is no doubting the legacy Berry leaves behind in KC. He famously beat cancer during his time with the Chiefs and brought a playmaking intelligence and physicality to the defensive backfield. He was also one of the very best Chiefs in the community and I’m sure fans in Kansas City are going to miss him.
Neil Reynolds on Chiefs' club legend Eric Berry

He missed most of one season with a torn knee ligament and most of another with a torn Achilles' tendon.

He also missed part of 2015 while he was undergoing treatment for cancer, which not only further endeared him to the Kansas City fan base but also to the NFL community at large.

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The Chiefs have already moved on from several high-priced veterans, cutting Justin Houston and trading fellow linebacker Dee Ford to San Francisco. They also have agreed to a three-year contract with former Texans safety Tyrann Mathieu.

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The Chiefs allowed a league-worst 425.6 yards and 35.3 points per game last campaign. The defense ultimately let down Kansas City when it mattered most, failing to get off the field in overtime in an AFC title game loss to the New England Patriots.

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