(Update: CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS! WE’RE GETTING CLOSE!)
The current high water mark among safeties in the NFL is $12.5 million per year courtesy of the Cardinals’ Tyrann Mathieu. It was a no brainer that Eric Berry would pass that number and now we’re starting to hear by how much.
According to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, Berry and the Chiefs are talking about a six year deal worth $13 million per year.
Would be stunned if Chiefs don't have Eric Berry locked up by franchise deadline. Sides very close on a 6yr deal worth massive $13M/year
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) February 28, 2017
Ian Rapoport has it too:
Sources: The #Chiefs & S Eric Berry are finalizing a 6-year deal worth $78M. It makes him the highest paid safety in the @NFL. Well-deserved
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 28, 2017
That would be six years, $78 million if those numbers are exact. That’s a lot of money but the Chiefs, like the Justin Houston situation, were in a tough spot by waiting a year to sign him. They couldn’t let Berry go. It didn’t hurt that two days earlier the Chiefs were in a ballroom in downtown Kansas City announcing him as their team MVP. They’re gonna let that guy go the next week? Nah.
The key will remain in the details of the deal - assuming it gets done. It seems few players actually play out the life of their contract so I’m gonna try not to freak out at the initial humongous number and remember things like how much they make in the first three years and the structure of it are more important than the total value.
There has been positive momentum on this deal since it was reported last night that the two sides were working hard on getting a deal one.