Chiefs Star Chris Jones Fires Back at Critics of Kansas City’s Defensive Line

Aside from a few lingering questions about the wide receiver room, there haven't been many critiques of the Kansas City Chiefs offense. Running back Kenneth Walker III just took home the AFC Offensive Player of the Month award, and Patrick Mahomes looks like himself again post-ACL surgery.

The same cannot be said, however, about Steve Spagnuolo's defensive unit. Despite a 3-0 start, Chiefs fans aren't particularly thrilled with certain aspects of the defense, particularly the pass rush.

Albeit in a limited sample size, Kansas City's defensive line hasn't been very effective thus far. The pass rush has been quiet through three weeks, ranking 26th in the NFL in sack rate and 28th in pressure rate. There were some head-scratching moments over the past two weeks against the Colts and Dolphins where the front four looked disoriented.

A lot of the blame from the fanbase has been directed toward two players in particular: George Karlaftis and Chris Jones. The two highest-profile pass rushers on the defensive line, who make north of $50 million annually combined, have yet to record a sack across the first three games.

During a press conference on Thursday, Jones expressed displeasure about how the media has been talking about the Chiefs' defensive line. This was said in a somewhat joking manner, though it's clear that he has strong feelings about the topic.

"It just gives y'all another week to write about the Chiefs' defensive line that sucks and why y'all pay me and George [Karlaftis]," Jones sarcastically remarked. "It's okay, we're giving up 10 points a game, we're 3-0. I think a win is more important than a sack, and I think sacks will come as we continue to do what we do."

#Chiefs DT Chris Jones hears the noise….might be a big week for this defense 🗣️

“Just give y’all another week to write about the Chiefs defensive line that suck and why yall pay me and George, it’s ok we giving up 10 points a game and are 3-0.”

🎥 via @Chiefs pic.twitter.com/vkwoe9JWfT
— SleeperChiefs (@SleeperChiefsKC) October 1, 2026

The lack of production from the two veterans has been unusual by their standards. This marks the first time since the 2018 campaign that Jones opened a year without a sack in the first three weeks, while Karlaftis has never finished a full season with fewer than six.

With that said, the Chiefs defense is surrendering just 16.7 points per game right now, the third-best mark in the NFL (not 10 as Jones mentioned, but an impressive number nonetheless). Even though the sacks aren't there on paper yet, Jones is confident they will be able to get home to the quarterback rather than later.

"We're close statistically. You look at the numbers, the quarterback's been getting rid of the ball in 2.3 seconds," Jones continued. "So, I don't care how good of a pass-rusher you are. When they're throwing the ball that quick, it's tough for anyone."

Sep 20, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) celebrates after an overtime win against the Indianapolis Colts at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This week against the Raiders, the Chiefs will go against another high-IQ quarterback who gets the ball out quickly in Kirk Cousins. Spagnuolo will have to draw up creative concepts to get the pass rush working early and prevent Cousins from finding his safety blanket, Brock Bowers, early on.

Although Jones is 32 years old and isn't quite the game-breaking presence he was earlier in his career, he's still an excellent run stopper who is bound to make his presence felt eventually this season. He is as competitive a guy as anybody on the roster, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that he isn't happy with how the media is pointing to the D-line struggles during an undefeated start.

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