The best story of the young NFL season – and perhaps most under-reported story – continues to get better. Only eight months after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Kansas City Chiefs strong safety Eric Berry is going to be playing in a football game again. Berry and the Chiefs will take on the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night, the preseason opener for both teams.
Eric Berry will play on Saturday night against the Cardinals. Not sure how much yet though. #Chiefs
— Chiefs Reporter (@ChiefsReporter) August 12, 2015
Kansas City head coach Andy Reid did not specify whether or not Berry would be with the starters. Throughout training camp, Berry has rotated in with the first and second-teams. The 26-year-old was also withheld from contact drills until Monday, when he was given the full run of practice.
Next: Ranking The 32 NFL Defenses For 2015
To this point, Berry has shown no signs of needing to be pulled back. This is not shocking when you consider that Berry trained throughout his chemo treatment and actually gained a pound.
Berry is a three-time Pro Bowler and a First-Team All-Pro, so his return to Kansas City’s lineup certainly strengthens a defense that ranked second last season in points allowed. However, the main story is Berry overcoming a life-threatening illness, and doing so in such a short period of time. Berry was the fifth-overall pick out of the University of Tennessee in 2010 and immediately became a star in the league, earning his first Pro Bowl berth.
However, his career would be jeopardized on a questionable hit by former Buffalo Bills receiver Steve Johnson in Week 1 of the 2011 season. The hit resulted in a torn ACL, putting Berry on injured reserve. Berry returned in 2012 and 2013 to make the Pro Bowl in both campaigns, including a First-Team All-Pro nod in the latter campaign.
Last year, Berry dealt with ankle and Achilles ailments before being diagnosed with cancer following a Thursday night game against the Oakland Raiders, limiting him to six games.