No deal between Eric Berry and the Chiefs: a failure for both sides

The deal should’ve been done, and it should’ve been done for a thousand reasons, at least six of them strong enough to stand on their own:

Eric Berry should’ve signed a long-term deal with the Chiefs to guarantee his family (more) generations of wealth, because more than nearly anyone he understands the uncertainty of both life and football.

The Chiefs should’ve signed Berry to a long-term deal because he is among the best, most important, and most beloved players in an organization that purports to prioritize character and good homegrown players above everything else.

Berry should’ve signed because it is unlikely his value will ever be higher than at this moment, when he is just 27 years old and coming off a remarkable recovery from lymphoma and perhaps the best season of his career.

The Chiefs should’ve signed Berry because they have just $226,818 of cap space, the NFL equivalent of the loose change that’s in your car right now, and could’ve used more to further solidify their future.

Berry should’ve signed because he could’ve been one of the highest paid safeties ever, and is in a place where he’s become accustomed to winning, love and respect.

The Chiefs should’ve signed him because their chairman publicly prioritized it, something he rarely does, and not rewarding perhaps the most popular player in the locker room in this context is exactly the opposite message the franchise claims to value.

We could go on, but you get the point. Berry and the Chiefs did not agree on a long-term contract before Friday’s deadline. Berry is still controlled by the Chiefs this season under the franchise tag, though players in his situation typically skip training camp and sign just before the regular season.

The team and front office that extended Dwayne Bowe did not do the same for Berry, and there is a segment of the locker room and public that will resent that. The business side of football dictates that this was the best chance at a long-term marriage between a team and player that have grown together.

Failing here means it’s less likely Berry will be with the Chiefs beyond this season.

It’s a bad look for both sides. They had every motivation and mutual benefit to agree on a deal, but allowed haggling over structure, a relatively small amount of money and details get in the way.

Blame whoever you want: the Chiefs for not locking up one of their most popular players, or Berry and his agent, Chad Speck, for not being happy with one of the biggest contracts ever for a safety.

Berry was the fifth pick in 2010, the last year before the league trimmed back rookie contracts. He’s already made more than $50 million, so he didn’t have the same need for security that Justin Houston did as a 2011 third-round pick.

The Chiefs presumably did not want Berry’s extension based upon the average of the next two franchise tags, which would’ve been around $12 million per season, and could be making a cold football decision based on the calculus of Berry not playing a premium position and having other intriguing internal options.

But no matter how these negotiations went into the ditch, Berry will play this season for a $10.8 million salary and cap hit, a figure determined by the league’s franchise-tag arithmetic. He is free to skip training camp and sign shortly before the start of the season, which shouldn’t be a huge deal for a veteran and disciplined player but is clearly not ideal.

In other words, Berry leaves money on the table, and the Chiefs send a counterproductive message to the locker room while all but ensuring that a season of Super Bowl hopes begins with a key player in something less than prime condition.

Nobody wins. Both sides lose.

This is the NFL equivalent of a husband and wife getting ready for a nice night out, but letting an argument over Italian or sushi turn into leftover pizza at home and an awkward conversation the next day.

The good news is it’s a mistake that either or both sides can correct.

Berry cut weight and was noticeably faster last year, and also benefitted from playing away from the line of scrimmage more often. Assuming he has another good season, he can get his long-term deal next year — here or somewhere else.

The Chiefs are betting that the price Berry set for himself was too high, that they are better off paying him for one season and likely facing difficult decisions next year: pay a guy who will turn 29 next year, or go with younger and cheaper internal options like Ron Parker, Daniel Sorensen, Stevie Brown and Eric Murray?

And if there’s not money for both, the Chiefs may have to decide between long-term deals for Berry and Dontari Poe.

Particularly if Berry’s side was pushing for the higher framework of the two-year franchise-tag average, the Chiefs had a few overlooked reasons to walk away.

There are some who believe the reputation of Berry’s production is inflated by his likability, and even in a passing league a safety can only do so much.

But not signing Berry long-term is a significant risk, first as a message to both fans and players, but also because of how it jeopardizes stability in the secondary. Berry is accepting his own risk, and if he sits out a significant part of training camp it will go against his nature to be away from his team and best chance to maximize his talent.

It’s a mess both sides made together, from what should’ve been a clean and simple starting point.

This story was originally published July 15, 2016 at 3:16 PM with the headline "No deal between Eric Berry and the Chiefs: a failure for both sides."