Chiefs, Eric Berry fail to agree on long-term deal

The Kansas City Chiefs and Eric Berry failed to reach an agreement on a long-term contract before Friday's 4 p.m. ET deadline, so the safety will play the 2016 season under the franchise tag, multiple media outlets reported.

Berry, 27, will play out the year under the $10.8 million franchise tag, then become a free agent after the season.

The news does not come as a surprise because the two sides reportedly were far apart in negotiations leading up to the deadline.

Last season, Berry made a comeback from Hodgkin's lymphoma, which kept him out of the 2014 season. He was named Comeback Player of the Year earlier this year after being named to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time.

Reportedly one of the sticking points in the negotiations was that the Chiefs wanted Berry to pay for a disability insurance policy that would have named the team as a beneficiary. After Berry's experience with cancer, that demand was not well received and that clause was dropped.

Last year, the Chiefs went down to the July 15 deadline day before signing linebacker Justin Houston to a six-year, $101 million deal. It included $52.5 million in guaranteed money.