Chris Jones 'Grateful' for KC Chiefs Allowing Him to Get Sack vs. Chargers
The Kansas City Chiefs got a win on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, and so did star defensive tackle Chris Jones.
With a sack on quarterback Easton Stick in the third quarter, Jones crossed the 10-sack threshold on the season. Not only did that serve as a milestone that many defensive linemen look for, but it also notched Jones a very nice bonus less than two weeks removed from Christmas. His sack triggered a $1.25 million contract incentive, boosting the All-Pro's yearly earnings.
After the game, however, Jones revealed in the locker room that he wasn't supposed to play as long as he did.
"Yeah, I was only supposed to play for one quarter," Jones said. "One quarter turned into two quarters, two quarters turned into, 'Please, can you let me get one more drive?' You know what I mean? Thankful to Coach (Andy) Reid. He allowed me to play, because this was more so our bye week and I didn't have to play, but the team allowed me to play. I'm super grateful for that."
Jones had rushed the passer 31 times by the time his sack was completed, totaling 12 pressures on those reps. The veteran interior lineman came close to getting a sack on numerous occasions, ultimately sealing the deal in the second half. He's made a whopping $3.25M in incentives this season, although those efforts were merely to help make up much of what he lost out on during a holdout that bled into the first week of the regular season.
Earlier this campaign, Jones expressed confidence by saying "I'm going to hit my numbers." He didn't end up hitting all of them — he fell short of the 15-sack mark and will lose at least one more incentive elsewhere — but this is a solid effort. The reworked deal he and the Chiefs agreed to back in September paved the way for him to return to work and have some upside in the process. Jones said not long ago that he'd buy the defensive line room Rolex watches if he hit his 10-sack bar before the end of the season. On Sunday, he indicated that he's staying true to his word.
"The D-block knows that this was all for them," Jones said. "The only reason I played for them was because I wanted them to get a Rolex and I get to buy myself a Rolex without spending my own money. I told them at the beginning of the week, 'I'm only playing for you all because I want to get you all the Rolex. You all worked so hard this year.' A lot of guys invested a lot of time and not only their personal skills, but things I ask for throughout the year. Whether it's water for the rookies, they go out of their way to make sure I'm always watered up. The little things I ask for and I think for them, it's like a treat for them to show them my appreciation for being committed throughout the season."
Kansas City sat quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce in Week 18, even though they had a chance to help the latter reach a milestone of his own. Reid said after the game that it was Kelce's decision to not play in an effort to avoid being "selfish," although Jones's situation was different given the financial component. Reid and the team were on board with Jones getting that critical 10th sack, as it was no secret what the goal was.
"The whole team knew the only reason I was playing was for a sack, OK?" Jones said.
In addition to a Rolex, Reid has an idea of what Jones could spend a few of his newfound dollars on.
"That's a couple of cheeseburgers right there that he made."
