The Oakland Raiders added more fuel to their already fiery rivalry with the Kansas City Chiefs after they signed Chiefs great Derrick Johnson this offseason. Raiders coach Jon Gruden believes Johnson’s addition will be a huge game-changer for the team’s defense.
“We feel like we have solidified the middle of our defense big time,” Gruden said per Ryan Lipton of Silver and Black Pride. “We added Derrick Johnson, the all-time leading tackler in Kansas City Chiefs history. He started every game for them last year, they were the division champions.”
Gruden also added a bit more salt in the wounds of the Chiefs by listing down some of the famous players they ‘ve “stolen” from Kansas City through the years, from Rich Gannon to Andre Rison to Albert Lewis and now Johnson.
It remains to be seen whether Johnson does turn out to be the impact player Gruden has in mind. While Johnson was still a regular starter for the Chiefs last season, he’s clearly not the same player he once was at 35 years old.
But Gruden clearly believes Johnson’s still got something left in the tank. Moreover, the Raiders don’t have too many other options currently on the roster that are significantly better than the 35-year-old, so they almost have no choice but to go with Johnson.
If Johnson does end up being the type of player Gruden envisions for the Raiders defense this season, he’ll definitely be another great steal the Raiders can boast over their fierce division rivals.
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