The Kansas City Chiefs were without Chris Jones in their divisional round matchup and he could miss the AFC Championship Game. According to NFL Networks' James Palmer, Kansas City is not optimistic that Jones will play on Sunday versus the Tennessee Titans.
I’m told #chiefs star defensive lineman Chris Jones will try and test his injured calf pregame to see if there is a chance he can go. He did the same last week and he wasn’t even close to being able to play. Not a ton of optimism, but it is the AFC Championship game.
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) January 19, 2020
Last week, Jones injured his calf in practice later in the week and was unable to suit up against the Houston Texans. Despite having another week to recover, the injury appears to be serious enough to put his status for Sunday in doubt.
Even though the Chiefs aren't optimistic, they'll have Jones test out his calf in pregame warmups. Considering that it's the AFC Championship Game, Jones could push himself to play to a certain extent.
The reports that Jones is doubtful to play against the Titans is terrible news for a team that is tasked with containing Derrick Henry. Henry has rushed for 377 yards in Tennessee's first two playoff games.
In the regular season, Jones contributed nine sacks, 36 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 20 quarterback hits, and a forced fumble. As a result, the Chiefs' defensive tackle was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career.
In the event that Jones is in street clothes again, rookie Khalen Saunders will likely draw the start in his place. Saunders tallied just one tackle in last week's double-digit comeback victory over the Texans.
Just hours before the AFC Championship Game kicks off, Jones appears to be closer to doubtful than questionable. Even if he's able to give it a go, it's tough to envision Jones having anything but a limited workload on defense.
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