The Kansas City Chiefs have a major issue on their hands, as star DT Chris Jones is still nowhere to be found.
The dominant defensive tackle is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, ranking as one of the leading candidates to win the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
Jones has skipped training camp and the preseason, and has shown absolutely nothing to make us think that he’ll be on the field for their season opener vs. the Detroit Lions.
That’s why, when asked about potentially facing him in Week One, coach Dan Campbell was honest, stating that he doesn’t care about it unless he actually sees him on the field.
“I’m not monitoring it,” Campbell said Friday on 97.1 The Ticket. “It doesn’t matter. He’s either there or he’s not. And if he is, he plays 15 plays, they’re all on third down and we’ll be ready. Otherwise, he’s not there and we just keep going. That’s out of our control.”
Lions HC Dan Campbell unworried about facing Chris Jones: "Until he's in the building, it's not a concern"https://t.co/AocS5VF81D pic.twitter.com/dlq1SQeGXd
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) September 2, 2023
Truth be told, this should be the right approach here, as barring a major turn of events, Jones has made it loud and clear that he doesn’t intend to report to the team unless he gets the deal he’s looking for.
Chiefs HC Andy Reid already admitted that there has been no communication between both parties at all, and hinted at having no choice but to start the season without their best defensive player.
Jones is one of the most dominant defensive forces in the league, an elite defender who changes everything around him, and the Chiefs will have plenty of difficulty getting to the opposition’s quarterback without him.
That’s great news for Jared Goff and the up-and-coming Detroit Lions, a team that’s looking to make a huge splash and make the playoffs next season.
NEXT: Lions GM Discusses Potential Jared Goff Extension
