Did Kansas City Chiefs lose too much defensive leadership?
By Jalon Dodson
The 2018 offseason has been eventful, to say the least, for the Kansas City Chiefs. Are they lacking defensive leadership?
The Kansas City Chiefs have had one of the most intriguing, and somewhat gut-wrenching, offseasons … and it’s not over yet.
I’ll go ahead and say it for you: losing Derrick Johnson was heartbreaking. He’s been my one of, if not my most, favorite players for the past 13 years. What’s more interesting, though, is the impact that his departure will have on the team.
Aside from the fact that he signed with the Oakland Raiders (leaves a bad taste in my mouth), the on-field/off-field leadership and presence he brought is definitely going to be missed.
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With the loss of Johnson, Tamba Hali, Marcus Peters, Ron Parker and others, where’s the defensive leadership?
One player who continuously seems to amaze me is Justin Houston. He’s been a little slow coming back from his knee injury, but aside from that — the drive he has, the willingness to win — is second to none. Those intangibles are priceless.
Houston is obviously one of the veterans in the locker room, but will he be able to fill that role as a defensive leader? The linebacker corps alone loses two veterans with 25 years logged with the Chiefs in Hali and Johnson.
A definitive leader the Chiefs do have, however, is Eric Berry. Despite his inspiring comeback story, his off-field and on-field presence is amazing. Will it be enough to solidify leadership within the Chiefs’ defense?
There’s still veterans throughout the Chiefs’ roster, with names like Chris Jones, Allen Bailey, Daniel Sorensen, Frank Zombo to name a few.
To sum it up, the loss of several defensive players definitely hurt. Not only on an on-field perspective, but a locker room perspective; an off-field perspective. They brought more than just their skill to the table, they brought their leadership, their inspiration.
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If the veterans on the Chiefs’ defense are able to step up and be leaders, the Chiefs will be A-OK. This team is nothing short of amazing, and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us fans come the 2018 season.