The Kansas City Chiefs will most likely enter their defending Super Bowl campaign without their best defensive player.
All reports point towards star DT Chris Jones not being on the field come Thursday night’s season opener vs. the Detroit Lions.
Barring an unexpected turn of events, the Chiefs and Jones aren’t expected to agree on terms of a deal before the game, and they’ll just have to be without their Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
That’s going to be a major issue for Steve Spagnuolo’s defense, according to former NFL star Jason McCourty.
The former player discussed Jones’ importance in Monday’s episode of Good Morning Football, calling him a dominant force and stating that the Chiefs can run so many things on defense just because he’s out there.
Will Chris Jones be on the field for Week 1?
"Chris Jones is a dominating force… He changes the whole complexity of their defense. You can run different things because Chris Jones is in there."@JasonMcCourty pic.twitter.com/CXJHGz9FJP
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) September 4, 2023
He also talked about his importance in terms of rushing the passer, as even if he doesn’t get credit for the sack, his presence and raw power allow his teammates to get to the opposing quarterback with ease.
The Chiefs were No. 28 in QB pressure when Jones wasn’t on the field, and that’s not a winning formula.
They want to be the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls since 2004, and while they have the offensive firepower to do so, they might not have what it takes to get the job done, especially considering how many talented QBs play in the AFC right now.
Jones means business, and he won’t play unless he gets what he wants, even if that means sitting out the whole season.
NEXT: NFL Insider Gives Latest Update On Chris Jones' Holdout With Chiefs
