Eric Berry Illness: Latest on Chiefs Star After Hodgkin Lymphoma Diagnosis

Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry shocked the football world last year when he was forced to step away from the sport after being diagnosed with cancer. The good news is things are reportedly progressing well for the 26-year-old. 

According to Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, via Adam Teicher of ESPN, Berry is "heading in the right direction" as he fights the disease:

Berry, who was drafted by the Chiefs in 2010 and played in six games last year, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in December. He received a home visit from general manager John Dorsey and team president Clark Hunt in January. 

Dorsey echoed Reid's sentiments to Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star after the visit that Berry was "in good spirits."

"That’s all you can ask for," Dorsey said. "And I think, whenever somebody is going through something like that, it’s appropriate that we, as an organization, make the effort to go see a player that’s very meaningful to us. That’s what it’s all about."

The NFL world showed support for Berry after he was forced to step away, with Arizona head coach Bruce Arians donning one of the "Be Bold Be Brave Be Berry" shirts that were made available during a Week 14 matchup. 

It is unclear at this time what lies ahead for Berry's NFL career, though football is an afterthought given the serious nature of the disease.