Kansas City Chiefs: Justin March Picks Up Where He left Off

Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Justin March became a fan favorite during Training Camp last year until a knee injury sidelined him for the season.  This year he is back, and hasn’t missed a beat.

At the Kansas City Chiefs 2015 Training Camp an Undrafted Free Agent linebacker named Justin March came seemingly out of nowhere to become a fan favorite.  March’s impressive combination of athleticism and power, along with his incredible nose for the ball, turned heads left and right.

Many fans, and even some in the media, began to wonder if he would be able to steal a starting spot away from the recently re-signed Josh Mauga.  March impressed in practice and in preseason games, showing a knack for playmaking.  However, his chances were cut short by a knee injury towards the end of camp that would put him on Injured Reserve for the remainder of the season.

Now Justin March is back, and it is as though he never missed a second.  Through three practices (two of those in pads), March has continued to show an uncanny ability to place himself in position to make plays.  This was highlighted on Tuesday by a fumble recovery that would have gone for a touchdown in an actual game.

“We saw that last year before he got hurt, and you saw it here today. He’s constantly around the ball.” ~ Andy Reid on Justin March

He’s drawing praise from anyone and everyone that watches him.  That includes Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid who told reporters: “We saw that last year before he got hurt, and you saw it here today. He’s constantly around the ball.”

If Justin March continues to catch the eyes of the coaching staff, then he will most certainly carve out a spot for himself on the roster.  The real question is whether or not he will be able to take over the starting spot from returning starter Josh Mauga who played the inside linebacker spot next to Derrick Johnson very well last year.  This is one of the top camp battles in my book.

To his own end, March has been humble about his playmaking on the practice field.  He defers to his teammates, which is always big with the fans.  However, what might make him even more of a fan favorite is that he is always engaging with the fan base on social media, being sure to interact and keeping a positive outlook on everything going on around him.

Even without his fantastic playmaking ability, Justin March still brings every tool you could want in an inside linebacker.  He is strong, fast, and athletic, showing an ability to play well against both the pass and the run.

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It is young players like Justin March who have been, and will be, the key to the success of the Kansas City Chiefs.  General Manager John Dorsey has been adept at finding these hidden talents who have emerged into quality role players, or even starters, and Chiefs Kingdom needs to hope he continues to.  Justin March certainly appears to be one of them.