The Kansas City Chiefs handed Chris Jones a massive five-year, $158.7 million extension ahead of the 2024 season. This was on the heels of the Chiefs winning back-to-back Super Bowls and Jones offering double-digit sacks in each of these years. This included a massive 15.5 sacks in the 2022 season, and helped Kansas City's defense cover for the lack of an elite edge rusher.
However, since putting pen to paper, there is no denying that Jones has been a source of frustration due to a drop in play.
Kansas City fans should've taken Week 1 as a warning sign, as it set the tone for the frustrating year to come. The Chiefs were taking on the Los Angeles Chargers and needed one more defensive stop to have a chance to take control of the game.
It was down to one play, and Jones failed to set the edge, shifting to the inside, allowing Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert to scramble out to his right for the game-clinching first down. The defense could be seen engaging in a heated exchange, with Jones at the center. This was just the first piece of evidence in what would be a frustrating year.
With two weeks remaining in the 2025 season, Jones had only offered four sacks on the season. Solid performances against the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos would change this, with Jones finishing the year with seven sacks. This is a season after managing just five sacks, marking consecutive seasons where the production has been underwhelming in getting to the quarterback.
It was enough to leave a bad taste in the mouth of K.C. fans who are used to watching Jones dominate with ease.
Chiefs Need Chris Jones to Return to Form After Frustrating 2025 Season
As much as his recent pass rushing has disappointed, Jones has also watched his tackle numbers slip:
Year | Games Played | Solo Tackles | Solo Tackles Per Game |
|---|---|---|---|
2022 | 17 | 30 | 1.8 |
2023 | 16 | 20 | 1.3 |
2024 | 15 | 19 | 1.3 |
2025 | 17 | 15 | 0.9 |
All players' production eventually slows down at one point. Still, it isn't exactly encouraging to see Jones' regression while he still has three more seasons and over $98.5 million in cash remaining on his contract, per Spotrac.
It wouldn't be unthinkable for the three-time Super Bowl champ to have a level of apathy after being paid and winning it all while performing on the highest stage. Still, this doesn't lessen the frustration from K.C. fans who badly need Jones to return to form for this franchise to become Super Bowl contenders again.
While Jones hurt the Chiefs in the 2025 season, it is difficult to argue that the team is better off without him. With that being said, general manager Brett Veach needs to give Jones as much help as possible to succeed. Kansas City's pass rush was a concern across the board last season, making it a priority to be addressed through free agency and the 2026 NFL draft.
Hopefully, some help on the frontline combined with lessons learned from a lost season will be enough to turn Jones' outlook around. If not, and he continues to leave a bad taste in the Chiefs' mouth, his future in K.C. might need to be reconsidered.