INGLEWOOD, Calif. — You can call this year’s version of the Kansas City Chiefs, the NFL’s reigning champions, an enigma. Analysts looking for a different word might consider the Chiefs to be puzzling, a team that Sunday finished its strangest season in more than a decade.
These Chiefs are not an upstart. Or a dominant defending champ. Or even a consistent Super Bowl contender.
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Instead, the Chiefs’ regular season — which ended Sunday with a 13-12 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in a meaningless game for both teams — was a 17-game odyssey, a voyage that began in early September and ended in early January with Chris Jones in the spotlight each time.
Under normal circumstances, Jones wouldn’t have been in uniform Sunday — or wouldn’t have played a snap. The ideal scenario would’ve been Jones standing on the sideline — alongside other core starters, such as quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, running back Isiah Pacheco and cornerbacks L’Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie — to rest before Saturday night’s wild-card game against the Miami Dolphins.
Yet Jones played 46 snaps against the Chargers. The reason was tied to his elongated summer holdout and decision to sit out the Chiefs’ season opener. On Sept. 7, Jones watched his teammates fall to the Detroit Lions while sitting in a suite inside Arrowhead Stadium between his agents, Jason Katz and Michael Katz.
Four days after the opener, Jones ended his holdout, signing a new one-year deal that replaced the final year of the four-year contract he signed in 2020. His base salary remained the same, at $19.5 million, but he agreed to the new deal because he could earn up to $25 million in incentives. By missing the Chiefs’ mandatory minicamp, training camp and opener, Jones lost a total of $3.931 million. One of the six incentives in his contract was earning $1.25 million for collecting 10 sacks.
Jones entered Sunday’s game with 9 1/2 sacks.
“The whole team knew the only reason I was playing was for a sack, OK,” Jones said, smiling and laughing inside the visitors locker room. “I was only supposed to play for one quarter.”
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Known as a players’ coach, Andy Reid allowed Jones, the Chiefs’ best pass rusher, to play. Grateful for the opportunity, Jones came close to sacking Easton Stick, the Chargers’ backup quarterback, several times in the first half. In the third quarter, Jones went to Reid to begin a pivotal conversation.
“He tried to take me out the series before that and I had to beg him, like, ‘One more series, Coach!’” Jones said. “He gave me the (right index) finger and he said, ‘One more and then you’re done.’ So I went on the field praying to God. I came out very fortunate.”
CHRIS JONES GETS HIS BONUS! The whole @Chiefs sideline was HYPED for him.
📺: #KCvsLAC on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/X0vcyHUoyR pic.twitter.com/lrapGgskaZ— NFL (@NFL) January 7, 2024
Jones’ 46th snap produced an unbridled, joyous celebration for the entire team — his teammates, the coaching staff and general manager Brett Veach, who watched from the press box. With the Chargers inside the red zone, Jones used his strength to beat rookie left guard Jordan McFadden before sacking Stick for his only tackle of the game. Many of the Chiefs ran onto the field as if Jones made a game-winning sack.
“I’m glad he got it, man,” receiver Mecole Hardman said. “He deserves it. He’s a hard-working player. He’s definitely one of the leaders on our team, so to see him get that was pretty nice.”
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Jones sprinted off the field while waving his arms, reaching a top speed of 14.85 mph, which would’ve been his second-fastest speed on any play Sunday, according to Next Gen Stats. He was then greeted by Reid, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder, the trio bear-hugging him.
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By achieving three of his six incentives, including playing more than 50 percent of the Chiefs’ defensive snaps, Jones earned $21.6 million for finishing his 16 games with 10 1/2 sacks and 29 quarterback hits, tying his career high. He can still earn another $1 million if he earns first-team All-Pro honors and the Chiefs reach Super Bowl LVIII. For helping him reach his incentive, Jones promised to give Spagnuolo, defensive line coaches Joe Cullen and Terry Bradden and his defensive line teammates each a special gift.
“I played for them because I want them to get a Rolex and I get to buy myself a Rolex without spending my own money — it’s the incentive money,” Jones said, laughing. He later added: “I was telling Spags, ‘This is the most damn one-on-ones I’ve had all year.’ We laughed about that. I love Spags, man.”
BIG hugs for Big Red ❤️ pic.twitter.com/m63sa6lKmw
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 8, 2024
While Jones was relishing his performance — playing Empire of the Sun’s popular song “Walking on a Dream” through a large portable speaker — Kelce was one of the first players to exit the locker room.
For the first time in eight years, Kelce, a future Hall of Famer, finished the regular season with less than 1,000 receiving yards. Many of Kelce’s teammates wanted him to play a few snaps for him to gain the 16 yards he needed to continue the league’s longest such streak for a tight end. But Kelce, for the first time in his 11-year career, told Reid he didn’t want to be in uniform.
“Travis is a humble, humble guy,” Reid said. “It’s different because of the financial part of it with Chris. (Kelce) didn’t want to be selfish or come across as selfish. He just (went), ‘You know what, I don’t like the way it feels.’ I completely understand it, but that’s him. Most guys would’ve gone out and probably done it.”
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Watching their teammates from the sideline, Kelce and Mahomes became the Chiefs’ top cheerleaders. They praised Jones by jumping and pumping their fists.
Earlier in the game, Kelce and Mahomes sprinted along the sideline with safety Mike Edwards, who scored the game’s lone touchdown. Defensive end Charles Omeninu strip-sacked Stick inside the red zone, the ball bouncing right to Edwards, who recovered the fumble and then traversed 97 yards before reaching the end zone.
“Charles made a hell of a play,” Edwards said. “I got a great block by (cornerback Joshua Williams) as well. I had to get in the end zone. Pat was screaming for me and I gave him a little nod of acknowledgment.”
97 YARDS FOR THE SCORE!!! pic.twitter.com/VwPaAIS7ps
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 7, 2024
Similar to many of their 11 wins this season, the Chiefs couldn’t get through 60 minutes without experiencing a new issue with their offense, one that could complicate their postseason run.
Just before halftime, rookie left tackle Wanya Morris sustained a concussion. Morris will have to clear the NFL’s protocol by Saturday morning to be in the starting lineup. Donovan Smith, the nine-year veteran who was the starter when the season began, has missed the past five games with a neck stinger.
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The Chiefs finished the game with Jawaan Taylor, a five-year veteran, switching from right tackle to left tackle while Lucas Niang, a three-year veteran, played right tackle.
In a season full of offensive issues — critical drops by receivers, drive-killing penalties and giveaways — the Chiefs left SoFi Stadium not knowing the answer to a significant question looming over them ahead of Saturday’s game: Who is going to be their starting left tackle, the player responsible for protecting the blind side of Mahomes, the franchise player?
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(Photo: Ryan Kang / Getty Images)
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