Eric Berry is back at the top of his game, and he’s being rewarded with a hefty paycheck.
The Kansas City Chiefs have signed Berry to a six-year contract worth $78 million that includes $40 million guaranteed and a $20 million signing bonus, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tuesday, citing a source. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport initially reported Berry and the Chiefs were finalizing a deal.
Berry is set to make $13 million per year, moving him past Arizona Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu ($12 million per year) as the league’s highest-paid player at the position.
The veteran safety has made an impressive return after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in December 2014. He earned NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors in 2015 and followed that up with an excellent 2016 campaign, returning two of his four interceptions for touchdowns while being named a first-team All-Pro for the third time.
Berry played last season under the franchise tag and likely would have balked at doing the same in 2017. But the 28-year-old’s performance on the field warranted a big-time payout, and it looks like he got it.
Thumbnail photo via Jay Biggerstaff/USA TODAY Sports Images
