Janarius Robinson is not taking this opportunity with the Kansas City Chiefs lightly.
His NFL career has been a series of ups and downs, but now he's getting a fresh start.
"First, I just want to give a special thanks to (Chiefs Chairman and CEO) Mr. (Clark) Hunt, (Chiefs General Manager) Brett Veach and then (Head) Coach Andy Reid for giving me this wonderful opportunity here at the Chiefs," Robinson said at his introductory press conference on Wednesday. "It’s just about coming here, willing to work, put in the time and necessary things to put myself in the best position to reach the potential and be the best player that I can be and go out there and show what I can do.”
The defensive end began his career with the Minnesota Vikings, being drafted in the fourth round. In his first season, he was placed on injured reserve over the summer and then was waived prior to the 2022 season. He was then re-signed to the practice squad, but the Philadelphia Eagles swooped in and signed him. Unfortunately, he never got the opportunity to play, being placed on injured reserve there as well.
Prior to the start of the 2023 season, he signed with the Raiders practice squad. Across his two years in Las Vegas, he appeared in 16 games, with 13 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, and one pass defended.
In short, he's never gotten a true chance to show what he can do. But with the Chiefs, it's a whole new game. And he gets to work with some of the best in the business.
“Just over their (Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and Defensive Line Coach Joe Cullen's) career and over the years of them being coaches and just seeing how the defense plays in the scheme that they’re in, I feel like I’m a perfect fit for that so that’s ultimately one of the reasons why I decided to come to the Chiefs," Robinson revealed. "To just come out here and just play hard and do what I need to do and play within the defense to put myself in the best position at this point in my career.”
His time with numerous different NFL teams has allowed him to develop and learn new things at each stop. So, what's the most important thing he learned through all of this?
“Just come in willing to learn and willing to build friendships and relationships with people within the building and within the team and I think that’s what really makes the transition very easy,” he explained.
And most importantly, he confirmed to reporters that he's 100% healthy. So, the Chiefs are getting the best possible version of Robinson.
