Eric Berry #29 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates his teams fumble recovery at Arrowhead Stadium during the third quarter of the game against the Buffalo Bills on November 29, 2015 in Kansas City
Eric Berry is now the highest-paid safety in the NFL.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that the Pro Bowler has agreed to a new deal with the Kansas City Chiefs worth $78 million over six years.
The lucrative contract, which includes $40 million guaranteed and a $20 million signing bonus, according to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, makes Berry the top-paid safety in the league ahead of Arizona’s Tyrann Mathieu and Minnesota’s Harrison Smith.
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The deal seems well-deserved. The Chiefs failed to reach a long-term agreement with Berry last July after the sides were “miles apart” in contract negotiations.
Thus, the 28-year-old was forced to play under the franchise tag, something Berry, a seven-year veteran, had no intention of repeating in 2017.
“I want to end my career in Kansas City,” Berry said earlier this month. “I want to play there. I love the city, I love the vibe, I love my teammates. I really look at them more than teammates. We’ve been through a lot and they supported me a lot. And the organization. But I don’t feel comfortable playing under the franchise tag this year.”
As recently as Sunday, Berry told The Kansas City Star he was “going to keep being patient” for a new deal, an approach that evidently worked for the Chiefs.
Bery was fantastic last season, earning All-Pro honors and finishing the year as the NFL’s eighth-ranked safety, per Pro Football Focus.
His incredible play over 16 starts only added to his big return from Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which ended his 2014 season early before he bounced back to win Comeback Player of the Year honors in 2015.
The Chiefs are also reportedly set to release running back Jamaal Charles on Tuesday.
In other NFL news, the Vikings released running back Adrian Peterson on Tuesday, while the Washington Redskins placed a franchise tag on quarterback Kirk Cousins.
KANSAS CITY, MO – NOVEMBER 29: Eric Berry #29 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates his teams fumble recovery at Arrowhead Stadium during the third quarter of the game against the Buffalo Bills on November 29, 2015 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
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