Jan 15, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell (26) is tackled by Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston (50) and safety Eric Berry (29) during the first half in the AFC Divisional playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium. The Steelers won 18-16. Photo Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
The Kansas City Chiefs and star safety Eric Berry agreed on a six-year, $78 million contract on Tuesday that will make Berry the highest-paid safety in NFL history.
The deal will include $40 million in guaranteed money and a $20 million signing bonus, according to an ESPN report.
Berry expressed earlier this offseason that he wasn’t interested in playing under the franchise tag for the second straight season.
Berry had 77 tackles and four interceptions — returning two for touchdowns — last season.
Berry is a highly popular figure in Kansas City and courageously won a battle with Hodgkin’s disease. He was diagnosed late in the 2014 season and underwent treatments before returning for the 2015 season.
The Chiefs also parted ways with all-time leading rusher Jamaal Charles on Tuesday while guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif agreed to a five-year contract extension worth $41.25 million, according to ESPN.
“On behalf of my family and the entire Kansas City Chiefs team, I’d like to thank Jamaal Charles for his contributions and dedication over the last nine seasons,” Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said in a statement. “Jamaal has been one of the most prolific players in our organization’s history, and I have an enormous amount of respect for what he has accomplished. He’ll always be a part of the Chiefs family, and we’ll be ready to honor him for his outstanding playing career when the time is right.”
Charles, 30, missed most of last season after tearing the ACL in his right knee in 2015. He returned to play three games last season before being shut down and he underwent surgery on both knees in November.
“I’ve been privileged to work with a lot of talented players over the years, and Jamaal Charles ranks up there with the great ones,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid added. “I appreciate the way he came to work every day, he gave us everything he had day-in and day-out. I’ve said it before, I think he’s a future Hall of Famer.”
The four-time Pro Bowler rushed for 7,260 yards and 43 touchdowns in 103 games with the Chiefs. The third-round selection in 2008 topped 1,000 rushing yards on five occasions.
The 26-year-old Duvernay-Tardif will receive $20 million in guaranteed money.
Duvernay-Tardif started all 14 games he played last season and started 13 of 16 games as a rookie in 2015. The Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Quebec native was drafted in the sixth round (200th overall) by the Chiefs in 2014.
Duvernay-Tardif currently attends medical school at McGill University in Montreal in the offseason, but has participated in most of the Chiefs’ offseason workouts and has not missed an offseason practice.
