The Chiefs' impressive win against the Patriots in the season opener didn't come without some bad news: Kansas City safety Eric Berry, who left the game with an Achilles injury, will miss the rest of the 2017 season with a ruptured Achilles, coach Andy Reid confirmed Friday, hours after the Chiefs crushed the Pats, 42-27.
Berry was injured while covering tight end Rob Gronkowski on a 4th-quarter play that resulted in a Tom Brady sack. There was little contact on the play, and after the whistle, Berry limped before going to the ground. He eventually left the field on a cart.
After team trainers looked at Berry, the three-time Pro Bowler was carted off the field. The All-Pro, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in the middle of the 2014 season and has been cancer-free for more than two years, has been a key part of Kansas City's secondary since 2010 when he was taken with the fifth overall pick.
The Chiefs already had concerns in the secondary and the loss of Berry only exacerbates them. Outside linebacker Justin Houston said Thursday night that it would be impossible to replace the safety should his season be over.
"It's tough to lose a guy like that, you can't replace a guy like that," Houston told NBC Sports' Michelle Tafoya after the game. Berry had seven tackles against the Patriots and effectively shut down Gronkowski, who finished with just two catches for 33 yards.
