The Kansas City Chiefs are likely going to their Week 1 opener against the Detroit Lions down a man. Chris Jones, the team's star defensive tackle, is in the midst of a holdout after contract negotiations stalled out. Jones has openly indicated that he is willing to miss games, up until Week 8, even. The holdout casts a dark shadow on the defending champions' title defense.

While Jones continues to wait out the proverbial storm, the Chiefs go about their business like usual. When asked about the DT's holdout, star quarterback Patrick Mahomes said that the players aren't worrying about that, per Michael David Smith.

“At this point, you just prepare to play the game with the guys that are in the building, and let the front office and stuff handle that,” Mahomes said. “But we’ve got a tough test with the Detroit Lions. We’re gonna try to focus on how we can win with the guys that are here.”

“How we can win with the guys that are here” perfectly sums up what the Chiefs' game plan should be without Chris Jones. Yes, Jones is inarguably the most important part of their defense. His presence in the interior allow Kansas City's edge rushers to go one-on-one usually. The team has more than enough talent to survive his absence, though. In fact, a great performance from them might encourage Jones to come back sooner.

The Chiefs' situation with Jones is a classic conundrum championship teams face. Jones is worth more than what he's making, and he's invaluable to their defense. However, to keep the team together without overspending, they likely need to pay the DT less than what he desires. It's a tricky situation, and it'll be interesting to see how the Chiefs front office handle this problem.