Derrick Johnson will go down as one of the best Kansas City Chiefs ever

The Kansas City Chiefs broke the hearts of Chiefs Kingdom when they decided to part ways with linebacker Derrick Johnson. Johnson will test free agency and it’s highly unlikely that he’ll ever wear a Chiefs uniform again as a player.

The Derrick Johnson era in Kansas City has come to an end. Kansas City Chiefs fans thought this day might be nearing after it was painstakingly obvious that Johnson wasn’t the same player he once was. That happens to athletes as they get older and Johnson, despite still being able to hit hard, clearly had aged.

We all knew this was coming, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. Derrick Johnson has been a fan favorite during his time as a Chief and honestly, no one would have blamed him if he chose to rebel against the organization. Remember when Todd Haley benched him in the 2009 season? That would have been enough to drive most other players away, but not DJ.

When Johnson hit free agency after the 2015 season, he didn’t even hesitate to let the fans know where he wanted to be. That was with the team that drafted him 15th overall back in 2005.

When looking back at Johnson’s career, it’s hard for Chiefs fans not to get choked up about his departure. He’s the organization’s all-time leader in tackles (936) and there was never any doubt about where his loyalty was.

The Chiefs weren’t a great organization when Johnson joined them either. They had winning records his first two seasons, but dropped off tremendously after that. He was benched in 2009 by then-head coach Todd Haley and would go on the record years later saying that was the low point of his career.

That didn’t stop DJ from being a great player though. He battled through an Achilles injury in the 2014 season, but somehow came back better than ever in 2015. Unfortunately, his second Achilles injury at the end of the 2016 season was the beginning of the end for DJ as a Chief. Of course it would take two Achilles injuries to bring down a guy who was basically Superman for the first 12 years of his career.

Johnson will end his prestigious Kansas City Chiefs career as the all-time leader in tackles and with four Pro Bowls and one All-Pro nod to his name. He was one of the classiest players to ever don a Kansas City Chiefs uniform and he’ll definitely be going in the Ring of Honor in the near future.

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One of my favorite Derrick Johnson moments actually came from this past season. He absolutely destroyed Marshawn Lynch when the Raiders came to Arrowhead late in the season and it was one of those hits that made you go “OOH!”

For being 35 years old, Johnson never tackled like it. He was competitive until the very end, but the Chiefs are going younger on defense and DJ isn’t in the future plans.

It’s a bummer, but we all knew this day would come. Derrick Johnson says he’d like to play for a few more seasons, so more power to him. He loves the game of football and you can’t fault him for that.

It’s just a shame that the Chiefs couldn’t have had more success during Johnson’s tenure. In 13 seasons in Kansas City, the Chiefs won just one playoff game. Johnson had six tackles in that game.

Fans will miss Derrick Johnson and the leadership he brought to this team. Hopefully he can find a landing spot this offseason.

Best of luck, DJ! Just don’t go to a division rival please. What were some of your favorite Derrick Johnson moments?