An undrafted free agent that signed with the Kansas City Chiefs after the 2019 draft, but was subsequently released, has caught on with a new team.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport, former Texas LB Gary Johnson intends to sign with the Washington Redskins. The Chiefs released Johnson back in June following mandatory minicamp. He was an early fan favorite of Chiefs Kingdom because of his speed, and he played at the alma mater of former Chiefs LB Derrick Johnson.
Gary even looked up to Derrick as a mentor throughout his career at Texas and once he arrived with the Chiefs last May. There’s no relation between the two players even though they share a last name.
The Skins are dealing with some injuries at the linebacker position. They lost Reuben Foster for the season with a torn ACL. Shaun Dion Hamilton is dealing with a chest injury. Most recently there are reports that LB Josh Harvey-Clemons recently suffered injuries in their most recent game.
Attrition has been a problem for Skins linebacker corp and that is where Johnson comes in. His speed is unrivaled compared to other linebackers in this draft class. It was a surprising move when the Chiefs decided to cut him, but I think he would have been redundant with the other weak side linebackers the Chiefs have on the roster.
Johnson should give the Skins a solid option for the remainder of the preseason. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him compete for a spot on their practice squad or perhaps the active roster if injuries keep hitting the team.
