Kansas City, MO – April 29, 2025
Kansas City Chiefs legend Eric Berry, whose inspiring triumph over Hodgkin’s lymphoma captivated the NFL, faces a devastating recurrence of the disease, sources confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday. The five-time Pro Bowler, sidelined since 2018, announced the somber news via social media, stirring profound grief and fervent hope among Chiefs Kingdom still mourning a 40-22 Super Bowl LIX loss.
Berry, 36, first conquered Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2014, enduring six months of chemotherapy to achieve remission by June 2015. His return, marked by 55 tackles and two interceptions, earned the 2015 AP Comeback Player of the Year award (NFL.com). Now, a decade later, the cancer’s return tests the Chiefs icon, an unrestricted free agent untouched by the game since 2019.
“Eric’s our fighter,” GM Brett Veach told reporters, echoing a fanbase that reveres Berry’s 448 tackles and 14 interceptions across 89 games. Fans flooded social media with prayers: “You crushed it once, Eric. Win again!” one wrote. Berry’s 2015 All-Pro season, defying a 10-20% recurrence rate, fuels hope for another victory (American Cancer Society..
Coach Andy Reid, a pillar during Berry’s first battle, said: “He’s Chiefs forever.” The team, bolstered by rookies Josh Simmons, Omarr Norman-Lott, Ashton Gillotte, Nohl Williams, Jalen Royals, Jeffrey Bassa, and Brashard Smith, grapples with a secondary void left by Justin Reid’s exit. Berry’s fight galvanizes Kansas City’s 2025 rebuild, backed by $12.7 million in cap space (Spotrac).
With three remaining draft picks, including No. 226, the Chiefs seek depth. Berry’s courage, a beacon through his lymphoma saga, unites fans yearning for their hero to defeat cancer once more, praying for a second miracle to echo his 2015 comeback.
