The Morning Fix: Chiefs News From Around The Web

In order to earn his first-career Pro Bowl invitation, Johnson would need to put together an even better 2011 season. Not an easy task considering his 2010 campaign was far and away his best in six years as a pro.

Of course, Johnson’s 2011 season ended up being a much better year than his already successful 2010 campaign. A career-year, no doubt.

“It’s a great way to be appreciated for what you did on the field during the year,” Johnson said of his 2012 Pro Bowl selection. “I know a lot of guys that should go don’t get to go, but when you get your first chance, like I have this year, it’s a blessing to go to Hawaii.”

Emery inherits a team that could use help on both lines, in the secondary and at wide receiver. Forte’s rookie contract is up, and Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs has made it clear he wants to renegotiate even though his six-year deal runs through 2013.

He’ll also be running a team that features a franchise quarterback in Cutler along with stars such as Forte, Briggs, Julius Peppers and Brian Urlacher. As dramatic as the Bears’ fall was, they still seemed poised for a playoff run at one point.

They never recovered, though, once they lost Cutler.

Chiefs defensive back coach Emmitt Thomas also will be returning to the staff, a source told FOXSports.com. Numerous media outlets reported Thomas had drawn interest from Oakland to join the staff of new Raiders head coach Dennis Allen, which was confirmed to FOXSports.com by two sources. The 68-year-old Thomas served as a mentor to Allen when the latter landed his first NFL coaching job with Atlanta in 2002.