Eric Berry remains financial benchmark for NFL’s top safeties like Earl Thomas

Kansas City Chiefs star safety Eric Berry remains the financial go-to for any of the NFL’s top safeties as they seek a brand new contract.

Eric Berry has spent a career setting new standards for safety play in the NFL, so it stood to reason that the Kansas City Chiefs star would set a new financial threshold on the free agent market.

Last February, the Chiefs made Berry the highest paid safety in the game by a wide margin when they rewarded him with a 6-year deal worth up to $78 million. The contract included $20 million guaranteed and an average salary of $13 million/year. Heading into 2018, Berry will have the highest cap hit in the NFL by over $1M over Devin McCourty.

This offseason, the safety market has tanked for unknown reasons—perhaps a planned, united (read: collusion) effort in free agency—which has brought down safety prices and commitments considerably. Months after free agency opened, valuable defenders like Kenny Vaccaro, Mike Mitchell, Tre Boston, Eric Reid and others remain available for anyone interested, and very few free agent safeties have even earned a visit.

Perhaps the single best example of the upside-down market for free agent safeties this year came when the bidding began for Tyrann Mathieu after he was cut loose by the Arizona Cardinals. Mathieu’s stock is lower than it was two seasons ago, but the fact that the Houston Texans only committed a single year at $7 million (and won with that amount) shows how teams are approaching the position.

All of this comes as bad timing for Earl Thomas, who made it known on Sunday that he wants to be paid at a higher level. Considering Thomas will already be the fourth highest-paid safety in the NFL in 2018, it’s clear that he’s seeking Berry-like money, and a much longer commitment from the Seattle Seahawks.

Thomas likely faces an uphill climb if he really desires a Berry-esque deal given the current market. Thomas will turn 30-years-old next spring and has missed seven games over the last two seasons. No one would deny his ability to remain a game-altering force in the secondary, but the Seahawks would be paying for future production, not Thomas’s past resume.

As for the Chiefs, this deal could become more frustrating over tie.  Berry’s cap hit will only rise in coming seasons even as other teams are enjoying similar production in return for much smaller commitments (in money or time).

Whether they like it or not, the Chiefs are stuck with this deal. Fans won’t complain since Berry is the face of the franchise and a true star in the league who is as inspiring off the field as he is on it. But in the books, this deal will be a beast to work around for a bit—one that players still love but owners are ignoring.