A Chiefs linebacker wearing No. 56 burst through the line of scrimmage and into the backfield, smothering a ball carrier for no gain. The familiar scene has transpired inside Arrowhead Stadium for more than a dozen years now.
Except this wasn’t veteran Derrick Johnson. It was undrafted rookie Ben Niemann.
After Johnson’s departure to the Raiders in the offseason, Niemann picked up Johnson’s No. 56 and then picked up where Johnson left off over the previous 13 seasons — he led the team in tackles. In the Chiefs preseason opener Thursday against the Texas, Niemann had five stops, four of them solo.