Defensive sort out Chris Jones and the remainder of the defensive linemen have been current on the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs’ obligatory minicamp, which kicked off this week. What’s completely different about this 12 months — in comparison with some earlier ones — is that Jones and different distinguished veterans additionally attended voluntary OTAs earlier this month.
Talking to the media, Jones was requested about his motivation for displaying as much as the voluntary camp, and he didn’t break up hairs:
“We received quite a lot of new guys coming in, particularly coping with a loss within the Tremendous Bowl,” he stated bluntly. “I needed to get proper again at it.”
Jones made it clear that the Chiefs’ ugly loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Tremendous Bowl LIX remains to be entrance and middle within the workforce’s thoughts.
“I feel you need to use quite a lot of issues as motivation,” he stated, “however you realize the most important motivation — making it to the large recreation, shedding. Not solely shedding, however shedding the best way we did. I feel it’s rather a lot, and lots of people within the constructing really feel like we might have achieved higher.”
Photograph by Bruce Yeung/Getty Photos
Jones was additionally requested about his latest associate in crime, rookie defensive sort out Omarr Norman-Lott. Whereas teasing the rookie about having “some child weight,” Jones additionally supplied reward:
“He’s an athletic man, an SEC man — you realize, we constructed completely different over there,” he stated with a smirk. “He’s sturdy, explosive. He’s received a bit child weight on him, however I feel by the point coaching camp is over and the season begins, he’ll be able to go.”
Jones, all the time down for a superb snort and recognized for his transparency, was in high type on Tuesday when requested about proper guard Trey Smith’s ongoing contract negotiations.
In contrast to 2023, when Jones had his personal contract dispute and held out till Week 2 of the common season, Smith was in attendance at minicamp.
“Trey didn’t take my strategy,” Jones joked, poking enjoyable at himself. “Trey is doing the correct factor, man.”
He went on to say he believes Smith is a part of the Chiefs’ long-term plans, and that by no means ought to Smith take contract recommendation from him.
“No, don’t take no recommendation from me. Like, I did issues a bit completely different. Don’t take no recommendation from me. Trey, you’re in a superb place… Franchise tag is like 25 million, proper?
“That’s the large bucks.”
When requested if he had any regrets about how his scenario performed out, Jones gave a figuring out smile:
“Did I do issues otherwise?” he stated, earlier than laughing. “You bought your reply proper there.”
