Fallen players shouldn’t stifle the Chiefs at this stage

In recent years, Ron Parker has quietly been one of the most consistent players on the defensive side of the football for Kansas City, and he will be counted upon to pick up the slack in Berry’s stead. He has positional versatility and can play at either free or strong safety. Murray will join Sorensen and Parker in sub-package situations as a third safety. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid had this to say about how the team plans to manage the loss of one of its defensive leaders:

"“The players, they understand you’re not going to replace Eric Berry –– that’s not what you’re going to do,” Reid said. “Not the whole package of Eric Berry. He’s one of the great ones in the game, probably the best safety right now in the game of football. But we have guys in that position that will step in and fill that role that their teammates have a lot of confidence in.”"

Time will ultimately decide what limitation his absence poses to the unit as a whole.

Each one of the four teams to vie for the Lombardi Trophy the past two seasons have wrestled with the loss of key starters. Last season, the Patriots lost superstar tight end Rob Gronkowski in Week 12. The Atlanta Falcons placed 2015 Pro Bowler Desmond Trufant on the injured/reserve list in November.

During the previous season, then-Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning missed six games due to the torn plantar fascia in his left foot. Denver’s opponent in that championship game, the Carolina Panthers, posted their best regular season campaign in franchise history in 2015 despite losing wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin in late August. If the Kansas City Chiefs are as good as their Week 1 victory suggests, they’ll overcome the absence of Eric Berry.