Former Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry is one of several new players eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, sparking a debate about whether his career warrants him receiving a gold jacket. So I’ll ask the question once more. Does Berry belong in Canton? Has he accomplished enough on the gridiron the earn the right to be enshrined in one of the most prestigious places in sports?
Berry was drafted fifth overall by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2010 and instantly became one of the club’s defensive stars and leaders in the locker room. Coming out of college, Berry possessed incredible instincts and ball skills that received comparisons to Baltimore Ravens legend Ed Reed. Berry was also a safety who played like a linebacker at times and wasn’t afraid to deliver punishing hits to ball carriers.
Berry played nine seasons, all in Kansas City, and was a five-time pro bowler that finished his career with 445 tackles (377 solo), 5.5 sacks, 14 QB hits, four forced fumbles, and 14 interceptions that he returned for a combined 374 yards and five touchdowns. He also scored the NFL’s first ‘pick-two’ against the Atlanta Falcons in 2016, picking off quarterback Matt Ryan during a two-point conversion attempt and returning it 99 yards in the opposite direction for a defensive two-point score. The Chiefs that game 29-28.
Much like his offensive teammate, Jamaal Charles, injuries prevented Berry from having a more promising NFL career, and his lack of postseason success also hinders his chances of getting a gold jacket.
After a sensational rookie campaign in 2010, when he finished with a career-high 92 tackles (77 solo), four interceptions, a postseason appearance, and a bid to the pro bowl, Berry suffered a torn ACL in the Chiefs’ season opener against the Buffalo Bills in 2011; spending the entire season on injured reserve.
He’d return to pro bowl form in each of the next two seasons and earned All-Pro honors following the 2013 campaign. In 2014, disaster struck as Berry struggled with a bone spur in his ankle that caused several issues and kept him on the sideline. Later that season, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, ending his season and jeopardizing his career.
Thankfully, Berry beat his cancer and was medically cleared to return to the team in time for the 2015 season, where he’d have another pro bowl campaign, earned All-Pro honors, and was named the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year. Berry would have another All-Pro season the following year before injuries made him aloof for the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
In the playoffs, Berry appeared in six games in which the Chiefs went 1-5 – the lone victory being a 30-0 win over the Houston Texans in the 2015 wildcard round.
Undoubtedly, Eric Berry was a very talented player and has a place as a Chiefs Hall of Honor member one day. But in terms of heading to Canton, his five pro bowls and three All-Pros hold at least some kind of conversation. In my opinion, however, I don’t think it is enough for a bronze bust.
