Chris Jones Injury Update: Should fantasy managers be worried about Chiefs DT?
The Kansas City Chiefs open their season on Thursday, as the back-to-back Super Bowl champions face an AFC Championship Game rematch against the Baltimore Ravens. It will be the first challenge in Patrick Mahomes' quest to become the first quarterback to win three straight Super Bowls.
One of the greatest features of Kansas City's team is their defense, which ascended to new levels under the guidance of Steve Spagnuolo in 2019 and never looked back. In 2023, when the offense sputtered for most of the season, it was the defense that kept things afloat before the team turned on its jets late in the playoffs.
And it looks like Chris Jones will also start his season on Thursday. The Chiefs' defensive superstar is currently on the injury report with a shoulder injury, but it looks like it should be all systems go when the game comes:
Jones has been a key cog for each of all three titles won by Kansas City since 2019. In the last two years, he was a massive force in the playoffs, making plays when it mattered the most to lead the Chiefs into the promised land. No one should be concerned about him missing a game.
Chris Jones and Chiefs avoid headaches with new 2024 deal
Chris Jones re-signed with the Kansas City Chiefs for a five-year, $158.75 million extension. He's a special player, and you only need to look at the previous playoffs to confirm it. Who created the pressure on Josh Allen's final throw and prevented the touchdown in the Divisional Round? No. 95.
Cut to the Super Bowl, overtime, third down for the San Francisco 49ers in the red zone. Who generates pressure on Brock Purdy? Chris Jones. This type of player is uncommon: he's cut out for success and glory, which in the NFL are essentially built from January onwards.
Of course, a five-year contract for a 30-year-old player is always scary, but if there's one thing Brett Veach knows, it is how to put together good deals. In 2027, Kansas City no longer owes Chris Jones any guaranteed money: if he continues to play at an elite level, the team will keep him; if not, life goes on.