Kansas City Chiefs star safety Eric Berry, who has not yet signed his one-year franchise tag and has missed the entire preseason, plans to return to the team Sunday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter and multiple reports.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid had hoped as recently as Tuesday that Berry would return in time for the regular-season opener against the San Diego Chargers, saying that the four-time Pro Bowler could even play on Sept. 11 without appearing in Kansas City's final preseason game.
As an unsigned, franchise-tagged player, Berry was not required to report to training camp, and the club cannot fine him for not reporting.
Berry's one-year franchise tag salary is $10.806 million for the 2016 season. The deadline for extending contracts for players on franchise tags passed July 15.
The Chiefs had hoped to sign Berry to a long-term deal in the offseason, but the two sides were never close to reaching an agreement by the deadline. The Chiefs remain optimistic they can sign him after this season, though Berry will demand a premium on the free-agent market.
It was somewhat surprising that the sides were so far apart, given the goodwill between them.
The Chiefs stood by Berry when he was diagnosed with lymphoma, and general manager John Dorsey and others in the front office regularly visited him in Atlanta during treatment. Meanwhile, Berry has been steadfast in his love for the Chiefs, who made him a first-round pick out of Tennessee.
"It's a weird dynamic that you are juggling with finances and playing," Reid said earlier in camp. "But I've seen it before, guys normally come in and they just go. When it's time to play, they just play. They put the business side aside and they get after it."
Berry played in every game last season, less than a year after his cancer diagnosis. He made 55 tackles, had a pair of interceptions and resumed his role as the heart and soul of the defense.
ESPN Chiefs reporter Adam Teicher and The Associated Press contributed to this report.