Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones. Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Chiefs coach has no idea when star defensive lineman will show up

By Adam Gretz | Last updated 9/3/23

The Kansas City Chiefs are just a few days away from kicking off the 2023 season and they still have no idea when one of their best and most important players is going to be on the field.

Defensive lineman Chris Jones is still holding out as he hopes to get a new contract from the team, and it is now getting down to crunch time for him to be on the field as the team looks to defend its most recent Super Bowl title.

On Sunday, head coach Andy Reid was asked about Jones' potential availability for Thursday's game against the Detroit Lions, with Reid simply saying he had no idea when he will show up, via ESPN's Adam Teicher.

Chiefs are beginning their practice week today without Chris Jones. Andy Reid: "I don't know when he's coming or not coming.''
— Adam Teicher (@adamteicher) September 3, 2023

Jones has already racked up significant fines and lost out on several contract bonuses due to his holdout, and is now risking the possibility of losing game checks. He has already been fined $2M, gave up a $500K workout bonus and is facing the possibility of losing over $1M in salary per game missed.

There has been speculation that he might sit out at least the first seven games of the season, which would add up to over $7M in lost salary just from game checks.

Jones is one of the best defensive lineman in football and is coming off a 15.5 sack season in 2022. The Chiefs defense takes on an entirely different look and feel with him causing havoc in the middle of the line. They will still have the offensive talent to put up points and win games, but it is hard to imagine their defense being Super Bowl quality without him.

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