Chiefs safety Eric Berry expected to play Saturday
Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry is expected to play in the team‘s preseason opener Saturday night against the Arizona Cardinals, head coach Andy Reid said on Wednesday.
Returning to the field would mark the latest milestone in Berry’s return from Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which he was diagnosed with in December. Berry, 26, was cleared to practice on July 29.
“We’re thinking he’s going to play,” Reid told reporters. “We’ll just see how things go from here. But he’s been going here, so I think he’s ready to get out here and do his thing.
“I’m happy as can be for him. He’s like a little kid out here playing, he’s having fun and he’s appreciative of everything and everybody that has been with him throughout this whole ordeal. He’s loving life right now and it shows on the field too.”
Berry last played in a game Nov. 20 against the Oakland Raiders. Afterward, he reported feeling pains in his chest. His diagnosis was announced by the Chiefs on Dec. 8.
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A three-time Pro Bowl selection and 2013 first-team All-Pro, Berry has posted 298 career tackles, 5.5 sacks, eight interceptions and 31 passes defended. He appeared in six games last season, notching 37 tackles and defending two passes.
- Mike Fiammetta
