If Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson had been inclined to consider retirement, last season’s forced break from football provided him with the perfect opportunity.

Johnson’s 2014 season ended in the opener because of a ruptured Achilles tendon. So he had plenty of time to contemplate his life after football and he did that, to a degree.

That glimpse brought him back to football and the Chiefs.

"I got a little taste of not being out there on the field with the guys and not being in meeting rooms, and that’s a little bit of a taste of retirement and I’m not ready for that at all," he said. "At all."

In that sense, Johnson’s injury might have been the best thing for his career. It heightened his appreciation for the game and his desire for playing it for the next several seasons.

That’s good news for the Chiefs. Johnson is in the final season of his contract and will be 33 in November, so there are no guarantees.

But the Chiefs have nobody on their roster capable of replacing Johnson. The three-time Pro Bowler is a standout against both the run and pass, and the Chiefs will have to search high and low for someone to adequately fill in for Johnson when he eventually does walk out the door for good.

Johnson, for the time being, is back with the Chiefs and working out in their offseason conditioning program.

"If you see me run and do drills, I’m probably 100 percent," Johnson said. "But I’m harder on myself, so I’m probably 90, 95 (percent) just because I haven’t played football yet. Football is different than doing drills. Do I have any limitations? Not at all.

"The bigger difference will be in a couple of weeks when we get on the field and we see how I do out there. The big part about having a big injury ... is mentally. That part has to go away for you to succeed and get back to where you left off."