As fans of the Kansas City Chiefs await the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the team announced it will honor the career of its first-round pick from 2005.
Our all-time leading tackler has earned his rightful place in the Chiefs Hall of Fame. Congratulations, @superdj56! 👏 pic.twitter.com/iNbKSuFoQf
Former Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson — the franchise’s all-time leader in solo tackles (941) — will be the 2026 Chiefs Hall of Fame inductee.
As the 15th-overall pick out of the University of Texas in 2005, Johnson’s career in Kansas City somehow stretched from the final season of head coach Dick Vermeil, through the ups and downs of head coaches Herm Edwards and Todd Haley, to the modern, golden era of Chiefs football by playing for head coach Andy Reid for five seasons (2013-2017).
Johnson was always a talented outside linebacker, showing quick, easy mobility that was rare to pair with a 6-foot-3, 242-pound physique. He was a four-year starter when Haley was hired in 2009, but was unproven enough in the new coaching staff’s mind to be demoted to a rotational role.
During the final game of that four-win season, in a road game against the playoff-hopeful Denver Broncos (8-7), Johnson made the most of just his third start of the campaign. Johnson nabbed two interceptions and returned both for touchdowns at distances of 45 and 60 yards. He broke up two other passes in a 44-24 win that ended up being a turning point in the all-time linebacker’s career.
In 2010, he returned to the starting lineup full-time and hit career-high marks at the time in tackles (122), passes defended (16) — still the highest number of his career — and forced fumbles (4) while playing a key role in the franchise’s first AFC West title since 2003.
No finer linebacker. Rewinding it back to @superdj56's best plays 😤 pic.twitter.com/kspUaXpaOh
While his breakout season was not recognized with accolades, he followed it up with a performance in 2011 that earned him the only first-team All-Pro recognition of his career and the first of three consecutive Pro Bowl appearances, and four in all over the following five seasons.
The only year missing in that run was 2014, a lost campaign for Johnson when he tore his Achilles during the season-opening loss to the Tennessee Titans. After returning to Pro Bowl form in a historic 2015 season that featured the first and only playoff victory in Johnson’s career, the 34-year-old veteran started 13 games before tearing his other Achilles late in the 2016 season.
Though he didn’t stick around long enough to experience a Super Bowl victory, Johnson did share the locker room with quarterback Patrick Mahomes for one season in 2017 before ending his 13-year run with the Chiefs to play for the Oakland Raiders the following year.
We forgive you, DJ, or at least I’m assuming the rest of Chiefs Kingdom agrees with me.
Shoutout the @Chiefs for getting a great shot of my brother and I at the Lions game🤪 #ChiefsKingdom https://t.co/VJP8GkVEFA pic.twitter.com/3mySJubc0t
Johnson was not one of my first “favorite” players, as I grew up in the dark era of Chiefs football he started in, but he won me over more each year, and he gradually ascended to become one of the best off-ball linebackers in the NFL.
I was selective with what Chiefs jerseys I wanted, and Johnson became one of them by the time he was the veteran leader of Kansas City’s defense at the start of Reid’s tenure. I still wear his jersey on special occasions; it has the signatures of Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, Justin Houston, Mitchell Schwartz, and more… but not the legendary linebacker himself.
I may have to retire the jersey if that ever happens, and I wish the Chiefs would consider doing the same for No. 56 in red and gold. Sorry, George Karlaftis.
However, there are currently 10 retired jersey numbers for the franchise, and the late, great Derrick Thomas’ No. 58 is the only one in the group that has been worn in the last 40 years.
He was an elite leader and playmaker and will go into the franchise’s Hall of Fame as one of the franchise’s all-time defenders and arguably the greatest modern-era Chiefs without a championship ring.