Derrick Johnson played 13 seasons in Kansas City. He never made the Super Bowl.
Three times, the Chiefs lost in the divisional round of the postseason, including 2003 when they were 13-3 but lost to Indianapolis 38-31 at home in the playoffs.
Johnson, though, never had Patrick Mahomes as his full-time starting quarterback. Johnson saw Alex Smith, Nick Foles, Chase Daniel, Matt Cassel, Brady Quinn, Tyler Palko, Kyle Orton, Brodie Croyle, Tyler Thigpen, Damon Huard and Trent Green start games while he was in Kansas City.
Mahomes started only one game his rookie season of 2017, and the Chiefs beat the Broncos.
“You take the kid Pat Mahomes, second year and he’s doing all this stuff. I’m like, I’ve been at the Chiefs for 13 years, and I’ve never sniffed out a quarterback even close to what Pat Mahomes is doing this early in his career. It just tells you timing is everything,” Johnson said on the 3-Point Stance podcast hosted by former Chiefs defensive end Mike DeVito, Aaron Jackson and Sterling Pingree, via the Kansas City Star.
The Chiefs finished second in points allowed in 2014, fifth in 2013 and third in 2015. Kansas City had one of the worst defenses last season when they lost to the Patriots in overtime in the AFC Championship Game.
Johnson would have liked the Chiefs’ chances with one of the best defenses he played on, Mahomes as the quarterback and the AFC title game in Arrowhead Stadium.
“Oh my goodness, we would be licking our chops,” Johnson said. “That would have been a game to see. Now, Tom [Brady] would have had his fair share, but at the same time, I don’t think he would have [won] in there in Arrowhead with Pat Mahomes as the quarterback and the defense that we had? No sir, that would definitely, we’d be going to the Super Bowl with that.”
Brady did win in Arrowhead last postseason, though not with that Chiefs defense. Still. . . .
Johnson also somehow forgot Peyton Manning.
The Broncos went to two Super Bowls in those three years, losing one and winning one. Brady and the Patriots won in 2014. So it wouldn’t have been as easy for the Chiefs as it sounds.