The whereabouts of one Chris Jones are of the utmost concern to the Kansas City Chiefs.
For their Week 1 opponents, the Detroit Lions, not so much, according to head coach Dan Campbell.
Until the All-Pro defensive lineman is back with the Chiefs, Campbell and Co. aren’t going to worry themselves about what-ifs considering Jones.
“I’m not monitoring it,” Campbell said Friday on 97.1 The Ticket. “It doesn’t matter. He’s either there or he’s not. And if he is, he plays 15 plays, they’re all on third down and we’ll be ready. Otherwise, he’s not there and we just keep going. That’s out of our control.”
Jones is a two-time Super Bowl-winning four-time Pro Bowler who’s an absolute terror on the field, but currently is a holdout.
He’s a game-changer the Lions would be forced to reckon with, but in Campbell’s mind there’s no sense stressing with the teams’ season opener less than a week away. And, as Campbell noted, if Jones were to return in time for kickoff, he’s likely to be on a reduced snap count considering he’s been holding out through training camp.
“They’ve got plenty of ammo over there defensively,” Campbell said. “I know what kind of player he is when he’s in there, but he’s the last thing I’m worried about right now. Until he’s in the building, it’s not a concern.”
Related Links
- Chiefs GM Brett Veach: Chris Jones ‘deserves a big contract’; team has 'no intentions' of trading DT
- 2023 NFL cutdown deadline Debrief: Backup QBs have fates decided; kickers on the move
- Chris Jones headlines top 5 defensive tackles; plus, a WR trend and the Aaron Rodgers-Zach Wilson bond
Clearly, it’s the exact opposite where Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is concerned.
Until Jones is back in the building, Big Red will likely be distressed, but he has no choice but to ask the next defensive linemen up to step up.
“I mean as a coach, when a player is not here, then the next guy is up and rolling,” Reid said Friday, via team transcript. “Chris is a great player, but we’ve got other good players. They’ll have to step their game up to fill the role of defensive tackle, defensive end and so on. Everybody just has to play their best and then you work through it. But to think that you’re going to fill in for Chris, that’s not what you’re doing. You’re just — the next man comes up and you try to utilize his strengths and let him get in there and play. We’ve had success doing that and so we’ll do it again. I know the guys are excited to get in and play.”
With or without Jones, Campbell’s Lions and Reid’s Chiefs clash on Thursday to kick off the 2023 NFL season.
Source: Read Full Article