Eric Berry Says He'll Return from Surgery on Achilles Injury 'Better Than Ever'

Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Eric Berry said Tuesday he's going to "change the game" when he returns to the NFL from an Achilles injury that will force him to miss the rest of the 2017 season. 

Allegiant Athletic Agency president Chad Speck posted a message from Berry on social media before he headed into surgery:

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid confirmed last week the dynamic safety ruptured his Achilles tendon during the team's season-opening victory over the New England Patriots on Thursday. He also made it clear no single player would be asked to fill the massive void.

"He'll be out," Reid told reporters. "You know you're not going to replace Eric Berry with another Eric Berry … Eric Berrys only come around every once in a while. He's a heck of a player."

The 28-year-old Georgia native has navigated the long road to recovery before. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2014 before returning in time for the 2015 season during which he earned a Pro Bowl selection and NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors.

Berry was one of the best defenders in all of football last year. He racked up 77 combined tackles, nine passes defended, four interceptions and two touchdowns while playing all 16 games for the second straight season following his return from cancer.

Kansas City rewarded his elite play in the secondary with a six-year, $78 million contract in February.

The deal keeps Berry under contract through the 2022 season, so the Chiefs will hope he does come back stronger than ever to help lead their secondary for another half-decade.

In the meantime, Daniel Sorensen and Steven Terrell headline the group of defensive backs who will need to step up to keep Kansas City's defense afloat without its physical and emotional leader.