Eric Berry has said he will not play next season with the franchise tag attached, but here’s why the Chiefs could still apply the tag now.
Eric Berry is the biggest question facing the Kansas City Chiefs right now. He’s a fan favorite. He’s a franchise icon. He’s a locker room leader, Pro Bowl performer and an inspiring overcomer. In short, general manager John Dorsey has every reason to want Berry back in a Chiefs uniform next season.
That said, Berry is also expensive. Coming off of another stellar season, Berry is scheduled to once again hit free agency and the use of the franchise tag last season cost the Chiefs $10.8 million. The Chiefs can expect to pay significantly more money if they apply the tag for a second season, to the tune of nearly $13 million ($12.96M).
To pay Berry at the latter rate is to give him more than any other safety in the NFL. Perhaps that’s the reality facing Dorsey because Berry is, to his credit, an elite player who is arguably the best at his position. Tyrann Mathieu signed a five-yeal deal with an average value of $12.5 million, so perhaps the tag doesn’t seem so cost-prohibitive at this point.
Unfortunately Berry has taken the reality of playing under the franchise tag away from Dorsey this offseason with a strongly worded statement that he would refuse to do so:
“I’m definitely not going to play under the franchise tag this year,” Berry said. “I want to end my career in Kansas City. I want to play there. I love the city, I love the vibe, I love my teammates. I really look at them more than teammates. We’ve been through a lot and they supported me a lot. And the organization. But I don’t feel comfortable playing under the franchise tag this year.”
Does this limit the Chiefs use of the tag?
Not exactly. Note that Berry said he would not play under the tag, the operative word being “play” in this scenario. We’re nearly seven months from such a scenario. That means that Berry could still see the tag applied this month while Dorsey and Berry’s representatives work on a long-term solution that keeps him from hitting the field.
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In short, tagging Berry now does not mean Berry will play under the tag. It will, however, keep him from hitting free agency and gives the Chiefs a way to keep him from the market. They did the same thing with Justin Houston just two offseasons ago, tagging him before ultimately reaching a long-term deal that was easier on that year’s salary cap.
Note that it might also work in Berry’s favor to be tagged right now and wait until this summer before signing a new deal. As another round of free agency gets underway, a higher ceiling for the best players at their positions will undoubtedly be set, which means that Berry might have stronger contractual comparisons if he waits to see where other top free agents land. Berry will set the ceiling no matter when he signs, but that might climb a bit depending on the timing.
If there’s a bit of turbulence right now between the negotiating parties, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Dorsey officially use the franchise tag on Berry despite the safety’s recent public statements against it. It keeps other teams from messing with the negotiations and gives both sides time to find the solution they want.