After 13 years with the Kansas City Chiefs, Derrick Johnson moved on this NFL offseason and signed with the division rival, Oakland Raiders.
Many questioned why he would trade in the red for the silver and black, but for him the answer is simple, he wants a championship.
“The main reason I’m still playing ball and chasing a championship ring is because I believe I have a lot left in the tank,” Johnson said via SFGate. “And that’s the only reason I’m back. When I get to a point that I’m like, ‘Man, I’m hanging on,’ I’ll get out. I’ll get out of the NFL.
“But right now, and I expressed this to (Raiders head coach Jon) Gruden, I wasn’t interested in some type of rebuilding atmosphere. As soon as I said that, he had that look in his eye like, ‘You’re talking about the sense of urgency to win.’ And that’s exactly right. And when he said that, I said, ‘Yes, that’s what I want.’”
For the Raiders, they get an experienced middle linebacker, a position they have been looking to fill for a few years. The big question now for Johnson is if he can stay healthy. In the last four years, he has suffered two Achilles injuries, but last year was a healthy season for the veteran.
Another thing that also drew Johnson to Oakland was playing in a defense that he called linebacker friendly.
“It’s a scheme that’s built for linebackers to make plays,” Johnson said. “We have a lot of responsibility in this defense. With my wisdom playing for 13 years – they ask the linebackers to do a lot mentally just so we can make plays, and that’s right up my alley.”
There's still a lot to be seen about what Johnson can do on the field, but for now, it seems like this pairing has a lot of potential.
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