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The Kansas City Chiefs came into the season as defending champions but fell in Week 1 to the Detroit Lions. Kansas City's offense struggled with Travis Kelce out with an injury, as no other pass catchers stepped up.
Alongside Kelce, the Chiefs were without their star defensive tackle Chris Jones. Detroit ran for 118 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries. Kansas City's defense struggled to contain the run and only had one sack from their pass rush.
Jones is the Chiefs' best player on defense, and he is the key to stopping the run and their pass rush. Luckily for Kansas City, the team was able to sign Jones to a re-worked one-year contract after their Lions' loss. The new deal will replace the final year of his contract and end Jones' holdout.
Last season, Jones finished with 15.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss. He finished third in Defensive Player of the Year award voting and earned All-Pro First Team Honors. Jones is one of the best defensive players, and his return will help the Chiefs tremendously.
With that said, here is why the Chiefs' Chris Jones contract agreement couldn't have come at a better time.
Chiefs' tough upcoming schedule
While Kansas City won the Super Bowl last season, they have a tough schedule for the next three weeks. The Chiefs will have to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, and New York Jets.
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Jacksonville is a great offense led by star quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The Jaguars' offense played well in Week 1, and they will have home-field advantage against Kansas City in Week 2. Jacksonville faced off against the Chiefs in the Divisional Round, only losing 27-20, albeit Patrick Mahomes did miss part of the game with an ankle injury.
After the Jaguars, Kansas City will have an easier matchup as they take on the Chicago Bears at home. Chicago had a rough Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers, but it's important the Chiefs don't underestimate them. The Bears have Justin Fields, who is a dual-threat quarterback. Fields hasn't become a consistent passer but is an elite runner. He rushed for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns last season on 160 carries. Jones will have a huge impact in stopping Fields and Chicago's offense.
Week 4 was set up to be a primetime show between Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers. However, Rodgers went down with an injury on his first drive with the New York Jets, and his status for the season is unknown. With or without Rodgers, the Jets have talented players on offense. Garrett Wilson is the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year and elite receiver. They also have an elite rushing attack with Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook.
Zach Wilson has struggled in his early career, but he was the number two overall pick in 2021 and has the talent to be great. Jones will be pivotal in slowing New York's offense down.
The Chiefs have some tough offenses to go up against over the next few games. Jacksonville will be their toughest test, but they can't underestimate Chicago or New York, even if Rodgers is out. Having Chris Jones back will help them tremendously, as his impact on the game is impossible to replace.
Jones's reworked deal with Kansas City will help them remain a Super Bowl contender as he will again lead their defense.
