Chiefs safety Eric Berry is undergoing further tests to see if a mass found in his chest is indeed a lymphoma. (Jed Jacobsohn, Getty Images)
The routine rarely changes at Dove Valley. After practice, coach John Fox steps up to the podium with the Broncos’ injury list in hand, and spews off the latest string of hobbled players.
That wasn’t the case Wednesday, though.
“Before we get to our injuries,” Fox said, “I just want to say that our team’s and organization’s thoughts and prayers are with (Chiefs safety) Eric Berry, a part of our NFL family, that he has the best fortune going forward as he deals with a health issue. We’re supporting him in everything we can. We had him at the Pro Bowl and he’s a fine young man and we wish him nothing but the best.”
Berry felt discomfort after the Chiefs’ loss to the Raiders and was placed on the non-injured football list Monday after . He is in Atlanta undergoing further tests to confirm a diagnosis, though the Chiefs trainer said Monday that the leading possibility is cancer.
In the span of a few days, Berry went from fighting for a win on the field to fighting for his life. And the weight of the matter was not lost on Fox and the rest of the Broncos as they prepared to face the Chiefs on Sunday.
Fox, who said he reached out to Berry via text Tuesday, can understand perhaps better than most in the NFL what Berry may be going through, although their situations differed. In November of 2013, Fox underwent heart surgery to replace an aortic valve after he became dizzy during a golf outing near his home in Charlotte, N.C.
“I got a lot of nice thoughts and prayers from people around the league,” Fox said. “It is a type of fraternity in the league. (Eric) is somebody we respect and know pretty well and know the kind of competitor that he is.”
Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning said he, too, reached out to Berry, a fellow Tennessee alum.
“I know Eric from his days at Tennessee — I always go back there and work out — and of course playing against him throughout my career,” Manning said. “Thinking about him, reached out to him, told him he’s in a lot of peoples’ prayers and thoughts and he’s a tough fighter. I know he’s got a tough fight ahead of him, but we’re certainly thinking about him — the Tennessee family, the NFL’s family. He’s a special player and a really good guy, as well.”
As of Wednesday morning, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said the team had no updates on Berry’s condition but said that the team would immediately release any news they had once they hear.
