Kansas City Chiefs DT Chris Jones is back and ready to play in Week 4 against the Baltimore Ravens.
ESPN’s Jeff Darlington confirmed that Jones was cutting it close on his travels back to Kansas City, which is why he was added to the injury report.
“Chris Jones decided to attend his aunt’s funeral in Mississippi,” Darlington said. “He is getting on a plane that is scheduled to land at 2:40 PM local [time]. This game kicks off at 3:25 local [time].”
I’m told Jones participated in the team’s walkthrough on Saturday before leaving to attend the funeral, which was a good indication that the team expected him back for the game. The Chiefs hedged their bets with a practice squad elevation for DT Brodric Martin, but thankfully, he was not needed and was inactive. Jones has officially returned to Kansas City in time to play in the game, thanks to a police escort from the airport.
According to Chiefs Digest’s Matt Derrick, Jones has since arrived at the team locker room. He missed a portion of pregame warmups, but his status as a veteran likely gave Andy Reid and the rest of the coaching staff confidence that he could play and be effective. Needless to say, Jones will be playing for his Aunt Don on Sunday afternoon.
Chiefs DT Jones has five total tackles, one sack, and eight pressures through the first three games of the season. After a disappointing Week 1 performance against the Los Angeles Chargers, the defense has collectively made some strides. With the Week 3 win against the New York Giants, they’re a lot closer to where they wanted to be when the season began.
“I definitely feel like it was a stepping stone moving forward with this defense,” Jones said on Thursday. “I feel like we can continue to stride it in that way. You know, one step a day is progression for me. You know, we took a step, I think, last game, and forcing a few turnovers, and we could take another step this week. So step a week, and by the time we get to December, January, we’ll be where we need to be.”
It feels like there are opportunities to be successful on defense against this Baltimore team. The Ravens have allowed 12 sacks on Lamar Jackson this season, including seven just a week ago against the Detroit Lions. Ravens RB Derrick Henry has also fumbled in the first three games of the season.
