KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Nazeeh Johnson walked off the field as a Super Bowl champion to cap his rookie season, but he never really felt comfortable that season.
Johnson, a seventh-round pick from Marshall in 2022, appeared in 14 games, including three postseason contests, but the converted safety didn’t log a single snap on defense.
“My rookie year, I wasn’t very comfortable at corner — first time playing it,” Johnson said.
He made his mark on special teams as a rookie then put together an impressive offseason, drawing praise from Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo early in training camp before fate cruelly intervened.
Johnson suffered a torn ACL in late July and missed the entire 2023 season.
“I was really sad to see that happen to NJ,” Spagnulo said last summer. “He was really climbing. If you guys noticed, he was taking reps with the first group because he had earned it. He has a really good corner skillset.”
Just as Johnson finally felt comfortable at his new position, he faced a new challenge — recovering from knee surgery.
“I was trending in the right direction, competing with my teammates and stuff like that,” said Johnson, who returned to the field for the first time Saturday in Kansas City’s preseason game against Detroit. “So, it was bad timing for me in that sense.”
But Johnson also said he made the most of the time away from the field, digesting the system and refining his off-field preparation.
Now, he’s eager to make an impact with a defense that must prove it can thrive without last season’s top corner — L’Jarius Sneed, who was traded to Tennessee during the offseason.
Johnson is competing with fellow third-year corners Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams for the starting job opposite Trent McDuffie, yet another third-year corner.
“It was sad to see Sneed go, but it also meant they believed in the other corners and believed in us,” Johnson said. “Whoever wins that spot will be worthy of it.”
Johnson returned to the field for the first time since Super Bowl LVII against Philadelphia, a moment that meant the world even if it was only the preseason.
“It felt wonderful because of all the hard work I put in this offseason just to come back,” Johnson said. “It means a lot being out there with my boys and everything. They had all the support for me out there for me, so it felt good to be back out there.”
He “tweaked his hammy again,” but after missing all last season wasn’t too worried about that relatively minor setback.
Johnson believes a breakout season is possible.
“I think I did really good out there and I felt really comfortable at corner,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing. ... With almost two years now at corner, it feels a lot better now.”
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