Newest member of Chiefs’ Hall of Fame was a tackling machine during his NFL career
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Derrick Johnson finished with 1,146 tackles, the only player in Chiefs history over 1,000.
- Johnson spent 13 seasons with the Chiefs, appearing in 182 games and starting 169.
- He will be inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Fame as the team’s 55th honoree in 2026.
Derrick Johnson, a linebacker who recorded more tackles than any players in Chiefs history, is the newest member of the team’s Hall of Fame.
The Chiefs announced Thursday that Johnson would become the 55th person to receive the honor. He’ll be formally inducted during a Chiefs game in the 2026 season.
Johnson spent 13 of his 14 seasons and appeared in 182 games, with 169 starts, with the Chiefs. He was voted first-team All-Pro in 2011, second team in 2015 and was named to four Pro Bowl teams.
After winning the Bronco Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s top defensive player in 2004 at Texas, Johnson was the Chiefs’ first-round draft pick in 2005, No. 15 overall. He started all 16 games as a rookie.
Johnson’s career spanned five coaches: Dick Vermeil, Herm Edwards, Todd Haley, Romeo Crennel and Andy Reid. Johnson’s teams made the playoffs six times but didn’t come away with a victory, his Chiefs’ tenure concluding with the loss to the Tennessee Titans in the 2017 Wild Card Game at Arrowhead.
His greatest game may have come in the only season he wasn’t a full-time starter. In the 2009 regular-season finale at Denver, Johnson returned two interceptions for touchdowns, including a 70-yarder.
Johnson, who wore uniform No. 56 throughout his career, is the only player in team history to surpass 1,000 career tackles, finishing with 1,146. He also finished with 27 1/2 sacks, 71 tackles for loss and eight fumble recoveries.
In his final NFL season, Johnson appeared in six games with the Oakland Raiders.
“I am so grateful and honored to be inducted into the Chiefs Ring of Honor,” Johnson said. “I played 13 years in Arrowhead and always dreamed of one day having my name at the top of the stadium alongside of other legends.”