Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp 2017 Preview: Inside Linebackers
By Ben Almquist
Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp Preview
Derrick Johnson – Inside Linebacker
There will come a time when the Kansas City Chiefs can no longer rely on Derrick Johnson at linebacker. In fact, there have been a few times in recent years when he’s been unavailable. However, DJ is on pace to be back in time for the 2017 season, if not for the start of camp.
Derrick Johnson is the captain of the Chiefs defense all the way. One of the smartest players on the field at any given time, Johnson has built a career out of being at the right place at the right time. His athleticism isn’t what it once was, but he still moves at a high caliber.
Related Story: Kansas City Chiefs: DJ Replacement Must Come From Within
The true beauty of Derrick Johnson’s game is that as he’s gotten older, he’s gotten smarter. That’s allowed him to replace any decline in athleticism with an improvement in reading the play. That means he continues to get himself into position to make the stop. If there is any concern here, it is that he may not be able to withstand the big hits he once did.
Even hitting his mid-30s, Derrick Johnson can still cover with the best of them pic.twitter.com/x6tAwfWedz
— PFF (@PFF) July 1, 2017
A lot of people have been talking about how to replace Derrick Johnson when he retires. It’s become a popular topic the past couple of seasons. The Chiefs may have an option already on the roster (more on that later), but for the meantime this is still Johnson’s show.
Prediction
Derrick Johnson is going to continue to be that reliable force in the middle of the field for the Kansas City Chiefs. His retirement may not be that far in the future, but we live in the present. Johnson will win the starting job once again and will serve as the captain of the Chiefs defense in 2017.