Has Derrick Johnson lost his starting spot for the Kansas City Chiefs?

Looking at Sunday’s snap counts against the New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson looks like he’s losing hold of his starting spot.

Derrick Johnson has been an anchor in the middle of the Kansas City Chiefs defense since he was first drafted by the team back in the 2005 NFL Draft at No. 15 overall. Not only is the heart of the defense, but he’s become a beloved veteran who is the team’s all-time leading tackler—a testament to his speed, strength and instincts.

Unfortunately all good things must come to an end, and even a tremendous athlete and proven performer like Johnson will, at some point, fade on the field. That time might be now as Johnson seems to have lost a step (understandably after two Achilles injuries) and other players are stepping up. The latest look at Chiefs snap counts shows Johnson is not being utilized as much these days as he was even a few games ago.

This summer, Brett Veach made a couple moves to bring in fresh help at linebacker, bringing in Reggie Ragland of the Buffalo Bills and Kevin Pierre-Louis from the Seattle Seahawks. Ragland is intended to largely play in the team’s base defense as a run-stopping linebacker, while Pierre-Louis is a special teams performer who is the sort of all-around athletic player that Johnson has been. Now it seems both linebackers are getting plenty of playing time.

More from Arrowhead Addict

A closer look at snap counts from the Chiefs game against the New York Giants shows that Ragland played more than any other inside linebacker on Sunday. Ragland was given 47 total snaps on Sunday out of a potential total of 39. Johnson and Pierre-Louis played almost the exact same amount (35 to 34, respectively).

What this shows is that Ragland and Pierre-Louis are both mastering the playbook and showing impressive instincts on the field. KPL has been a revelation, showing himself to be much more than just a special teams ace traded for another special teams ace in D.J. Alexander. Perhaps the Chiefs already have DJ’s replacement in house and won’t have to worry about it this offseason.

Ragland came into the league with considerable hype as a potential first round pick out of Alabama. Unfortunately he tore his ACL and missed his entire rookie season with Buffalo. The Chiefs bought low and now have a burgeoning asset on their hands a downfield thumper who could really be a run-stopping force for years to come.

All of this, of course, comes at a bit of a cost. Derrick Johnson could be on the outs. That’s a sad ending for a franchise icon, although we all knew it happen sooner or later. Even if Johnson fades down the stretch of this 2017 season, it will be the complete body of work that stands in the end for all of us to remember and honor.

Home/Kansas City Chiefs News