Bob Sutton praises Derrick Johnson’s return from injury
By Matt Conner
Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton has nothing but praise for the way Derrick Johnson has handled himself as he returned from injury.
There are a lot of new young additions to the linebacking corps these days, but one man still stands tallest in the room. Derrick Johnson isn’t going anywhere, despite a recent Achilles tear, and his hard work to return from such a devastating injury shows exactly why he still commands the respect he does, both in the locker room and on the field.
The Kansas City Chiefs inside linebacker faced a serious uphill climb over the last year, especially at the age of 34, to return from the second season-ending injury of his career. To be specific, it was the second Achilles tendon tear of his career. The first came in Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans in 2014. Some fans likely thought it could be the end for Johnson, while others thought it would at least sideline him to role player status—that it might be time for the Chiefs to move on. Instead, DJ is back and ready to once again man the heart of a defense with Super Bowl hopes.
More from Arrowhead Addict
- Former Chiefs cornerback in legal trouble in Las Vegas
- Chiefs Kingdom: Get ready to break contract news
- Chiefs news: Travis Kelce wants to host fan ‘chug-off’ in Germany
- Podcast: Breaking down the Chiefs biggest roster battles
- KC Chiefs send Dave Merritt to NFL coaching accelerator
Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton said Johnson’s work ethic and determination is what helped him return like he has. Knowing what he had to face from the last trial gave him the experience to climb the same hill again.
"“As he said since the beginning, he knew exactly what he was going to have to do in rehab. He had the knowledge of what rehab was going to be like, what was going to be demanded of him. He works extremely hard. He did the first time. he attacked this thing. We’re really happy for him that it’s worked out like it has.”"
Despite the presence of Reggie Ragland, Kevin Pierre-Louis and Ukeme Eligwe alongside holdovers like Ramik Wilson, the Chiefs will still need Johnson to be his best self in the middle of the Chiefs defense. No one is quite ready to fill such big shoes, and despite the franchise’s future hopes for Ragland and Eligwe especially, their time is not now. Injuries and inexperience will limit their roles in 2017, which means Johnson is as important as ever.