Andy Reid said after practice on Tuesday that there's been "no progress" made on negotiations between the Chiefs and Chris Jones for a new contract.
It's becoming more realistic every minute that Jones will not be suiting up for Kansas City on Thursday night as the defending champions open the season against Detroit.
That could leave the Chiefs without two of their top three players as our Zach Pereles dove into the impact of Travis Kelce's potential absence on Tuesday.
On the other side of the ball, Jones' holdout is a huge blow for the Chiefs defense as it faces a Lions team that had a franchise-record eight 30-point games last year. They might have to face Detroit without the best DT in the league not named Aaron Donald.
Jones can sometimes be overshadowed by Donald, but that shouldn't be the case after he had one of the best seasons ever by a defensive tackle last year.
- He finished top five in the NFL in sacks, pressures and QB hits
- His 15.5 sacks ranked top 10 for DT in a season since sacks became official in 1982
- He took over last year's AFC title game with 10 pressures, five QB hits and two sacks
- PFF gave him the highest grade among all interior linemen and he led all players at the position in pass-rush win rate last year (ESPN Analytics)
- The cherry on top, he won his second ring
There's proof his absence, however long it'll be, leaves a massive hole in the middle of Kansas City's defense, which will be under the microscope on opening night.
Lions attack the middle
Dan Campbell referenced biting a kneecap off in his introductory press conference in 2021. So you know Detroit is a physical team, especially on the ground. The best way to beat Patrick Mahomes is also to keep him off the field, so look for Detroit to play some smash-mouth football.
The Lions ranked top five in the NFL in percent of rushes up the middle (52%) and yards per rush (5.1) on those carries last year. They were eighth in yards per rush toward the guards (4.6) and 25th toward the tackles (4.1) in 2022, so they should hit Kansas City right where Jones usually plays, in the teeth of the defense.
They have a new backfield tandem in David Montgomery and first-round pick Jahmyr Gibbs, but they offer a similar thunder-and-lightning effect as Jamaal Williams and D'Andre Swift. Montgomery may be even more effective than Williams, as he forced almost twice as many missed tackles as Williams last year (23 percent vs. 12 percent).
Kansas City could be vulnerable to play-action
If the Lions' run game is as effective as it should be without Jones, that'll play right into the Lions' other strength: play-action passing. The Chiefs counter to the Lions' run game could be more defenders in the box or linebackers cheating versus the run. Either should bode well for Detroit's play-action game. Jared Goff led the NFL in play-action touchdown passes (16) in 2022.
Goff wilts under pressure
Of course, Jones would be missed most getting after the QB. He is one of the best sack artists in the NFL and Goff isn't exactly a statue, but he's not Patrick Mahomes either. He was second in the NFL in EPA per dropback when not pressured last year, but 18th when he was under duress. Like many good pocket QBs, if you knock Goff off his spot, he's much less effective.
But that won't be happening as much without Jones. The Chiefs see a substantial drop-off without him. Their pressure rate with him on the field last year was 37 percent, but only 29 percent with him off. That's the difference between the fourth-best and fourth-worst teams in that category in 2022.
The Chiefs' short-handed defense could have fits without Jones in Week 1 and beyond. The clock is ticking.
