The Kansas City Chiefs have made some tweaks to their coaching staff since the season ended, and it continued on Thursday. According to CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz, the Chiefs are hiring Terry Bradden as assistant defensive line coach.
This is a reunion for both sides. Bradden was the defensive line coach for Nebraska in 2025. Before that, he was with the Chiefs for eight seasons, playing a role in three Super Bowl titles. Bradden was a helping hand in what Jones was able to do and got some praise from him after his All-Pro nod in 2023.
"Give credit to my coaches, Joe Cullen, and Terry Bradden; the commitment those guys force out of me, and the players in the room push me beyond measure," Jones said during a presser in 2023, via Chiefs Wire's Ed Easton Jr.
With a big season on the way, getting Bradden back on the staff will have a positive ripple effect on Jones.
Terry Bradden Rejoining Chiefs Is Great News for Chris Jones
Jones didn't have the season many expected him to have in 2025, leaving some fans asking for more. Nonetheless, Jones has shown that he can be a game wrecker along the defensive front. Although the season wasn't his typical standards, he still finished with 29 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and seven sacks.
Jones still found ways to make an impact, but getting Bradden back in the room will give Jones a coach with whom he is familiar and clearly has a good relationship. Jones will be 32 years old when the 2026 season kicks off, but the Chiefs still need him to play at a high level to make a run again.
Interestingly enough, the pair were actually in contact with each other during the 2025 season, according to A to Z Sports' Charles Goldman:
"I call Terry Bradden, you know, guys that I’m very close with within the football circle... It’s all about being limitless... So, it’s a good thing. It’s a good way to recalibrate, re-circle yourself, understand it’s not all good, but it’s not all bad either."Chris Jones, Chiefs DL
It'll be a different campaign when things roll around, as quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be coming back from a torn ACL. There's no guarantee that he'll be ready for Week 1, but he'll still need some time to get back to his normal self. This is a major knee injury, so the defense will have to shoulder a large chunk of the burden to start the season.
Jones being at his best is what KC needs, and Bradden back on the staff will only be a positive. From 2017 to 2024, under Bradden's coaching, Jones had 82 TFLs, 185 QB hits, and 78.5 sacks.
Reunions have been a theme in Kansas City before Bradden even returned. The ball started rolling when Eric Bieniemy returned as the new OC, supporting the idea that head coach Andy Reid is trying to get the band back together.
The odds that the old version of Jones returns only increase with Bradden back in the saddle, and that should give Chiefs fans some excitement around Jones going into the 2026 season.