Report: Bone spur hindering return of KC Chiefs’ Eric Berry

A report from NFL Network may shed a little light on Eric Berry’s mysterious persistent heel soreness.

Per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Berry is dealing with a Haglund’s deformity, a type of bone spur that affects the Achilles.

From Garafolo’s report on Good Morning Football:

“My understanding, and I’ve spoken to people familiar with his injury situation. He’s got what’s called a Haglund’s deformity in that Achilles. That’s a bone spur that basically digs into the Achilles. Shaun O’ Hara, our colleague at NFL Network, he had it. I spoke to him this week. He said it is extremely painful. He actually used a more colorful word that I won’t use here. It’s just something that continues to irritate the area. Some guys have been able to play with it—you get a shoe here or there, you can adjust … but that’s what’s going on. It’s going to be a pain management thing. It’s not like this thing will tear the Achilles necessarily. A lot of these cases don’t result in a tear, but that’s why with Berry right now, he has not played, and they’ve been doing OK. That’s going to allow them a little bit more patience with Berry, but it is extremely painful.”

Berry hasn’t practiced since Aug. 11 at training camp in St. Joseph, and coach Andy Reid said he was doubtful for Monday night’s game at Denver. Earlier this season, Chiefs head trainer Rick Burkholder called Berry’s injury status “literally day-to-day.”

Asked if Berry was dealing with a bone spur, Reid didn’t have much of an update.

“I don’t know the term and all of that or the medical part of it,” Reid said. “I just listen to the doctors on it and he is not ready to roll. Maybe we can get you that information, but we don’t have that for you right now.”

Berry was the only player who didn’t practice on Saturday. Reid also said that he expects linebacker Dee Ford (groin) to play on Monday barring any setbacks.

Brooke Pryor

Brooke Pryor covers the Kansas City Chiefs and NFL for The Star.