KCKingdom
Fansided

KC Chiefs: Derrick Johnson’s Rehab Looks Good

By John Viril

facebooktwitterreddit

Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson looked good in workout videos posted on the website for Total Athlete ATX in Austin, Texas.

You can see for yourself by clicking below (video courtesy of TotalathleteATX.com):

The soon to be 33-year-old Derrick Johnson is rehabbing after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in the first game of 2014. Johnson missed the remaining 15 games of the 2014 season.

Between Derrick Johnson‘s advanced age and the severity of an Achilles injury, many pundits wondered if the injury might end his career. Even if he returned, others wondered if the KC Chiefs should cut Derrick Johnson loose due to his large $5.25 million cap number for 2015.

More from Kansas City Chiefs

Johnson looks ready to go months before training camp in the above video, which was filmed February 10th. With camp slated to open in mid-July, Derrick Johnson still has 5 months to improve.

Maybe, just maybe, former three-time pro-bowler Derrick Johnson can squeeze out another prime season or two.

That would go a long way toward solving the Kansas City Chiefs problems stopping the run in 2014. The KC defense ranked 28th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed, giving up 4.7 yards per carry in 2014. These terrible stats followed a much better no. 11 ranking in 2013, with a 4.5 ypc (26th).

The problems stopping the run in 2014 came after the KC Chiefs lost both inside linebacker Derrick Johnson and defensive end Mike DeVito to Achilles injuries in a week 1 loss to the Tennessee Titans.

Johnson’s loss, along with the injury struggles of free-agent acquisition Joe Mays, left the Kansas City Chiefs starting reserves Josh Mauga and James Michael Johnson at inside linebacker most of the 2014 season. While the two did a decent job as emergency fill-ins, they clearly left something to be desired when it came to stopping the run.

With the Chiefs exceeding the 2015 cap by $1.573 million according to Over the Cap.com, general manager John Dorsey cannot afford to keep unproductive veterans. However, a healthy Derrick Johnson would be a bargain at $5.25 million.

While the above video is certainly encouraging, we have to remember that it’s a lot easier to look nimble in shorts than it is to make tackles while trying to fight through 300 lb. offensive lineman.

Even so, Derrick Johnson at least looks like he could be the run-stopping force the Chiefs defense so desperately needs in 2015.

Derrick Johnson could very well be back.

Next: KC Chiefs Mock Draft Focus On Offense

More from KC Kingdom

Home/Kansas City Chiefs