Chiefs' Chris Jones aims to make the most of what could be his last game at Arrowhead
Kansas City Chiefs star DT Chris Jones recognizes that the wild-card game against the Miami Dolphins could be his last in Arrowhead Stadium as a member of the organization. The next time he returns, he could be in a situation like Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill. He could be left wondering if his return will be […]
Kansas City Chiefs star DT Chris Jones recognizes that the wild-card game against the Miami Dolphins could be his last in Arrowhead Stadium as a member of the organization.
The next time he returns, he could be in a situation like Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill. He could be left wondering if his return will be met with loud cheers or harsh boos from the raucous crowd of Chiefs Kingdom. While those thoughts might creep into his mind, Jones says that he's got his eyes on the prize — it all starts with securing the Lamar Hunt Trophy in the AFC title game — followed by another Super Bowl win.
“I think it’s more so the goal,” Jones said. “You usually reflect after, right? After it’s all done, you kind of reflect on what’s the next chapter for you, for the team. I try not to think about it because it could be my last game in Arrowhead (Stadium), who knows? But, most importantly, we’ve got a game to play, trying to make a deep run in this playoffs. If it is my last time, then we’ve got to make it worthwhile.”
Jones isn't quite yet ready for that moment of reflection. He's still got plenty ahead of him this postseason. He insists that he's not thinking about his contract situation or what the future might hold for him. He's trying to stay focused on the task at hand, which is beating the Dolphins and making a deep run in the playoffs.
“Man, that hasn’t crossed my mind,” Jones said. “Listen, I’m just thinking about playing the Dolphins. If it is it is, if it’s not it’s not. You can’t think about ‘What Ifs.’ You can’t think about the future because the future tends to change. People change by the day, how they’re feeling. Feelings change by the day. You’ve just got to roll with the punches in life. If they give you lemon, make lemonade.
"Right now, we’re trying to make lemonade out of this one. We’ve got an exciting Dolphins team coming. . . we’re slowly (checking off) goals that we had this year. Win the AFC West, host a home playoff game, then let’s get the Lamar Hunt trophy again. We’ll figure the rest of it out at the end of the (postseason) or after.”
Jones sought a long-term deal this offseason and the two sides were unable to get that accomplished. His holdout resulted in a reworked contract that allowed him to earn a $1.25 million contract incentive in Week 18, but really, he was simply earning back some of the money lost in his holdout.
Whether that whole situation presents an obstacle between the two sides during the 2024 NFL offseason remains to be seen. Regardless, Jones is looking to make the most of the opportunity ahead. He can build off a Week 18 performance where he tied the NFL season-high for pressures in just 2.5 quarters of play.
"We've got four more games to go," Jones said. "We're going to continue to build off of what we put out throughout the regular season (and) continue to maximize our efforts."
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