All eyes are on the Kansas City Chiefs as they return from their bye week. With eight games left in the season, they sit 3rd in the AFC West with a 5-4 record. But more than the team, their defensive tackle, Chris Jones, is the center of attention. His performance this season has been below expectations.

“The first half of the season for me was challenging to say the least, but we’ve got eight more games to play. There’s a lot of football left, and a lot of things can happen,” the DT said on November 14.

In 10 seasons with the Chiefs, the defensive star has built a strong career. Chris Jones has played 147 games (126 starts), making 323 total tackles (213 solo). He has recorded 82.5 sacks, forced 13 fumbles, recovered 3, and scored 1 defensive touchdown in 2 interceptions. The decline in his numbers is clearly visible.

His QB pressure rate is down to 8.1% after sitting at 12% last year. He hasn’t been below 11.8% since 2018. The DT’s quick pressures have dropped too, 9 this year compared to 26 last season. With only two sacks in nine games, he’s on pace for his lowest sack total since his rookie season.

“I’m my biggest critic. I hold myself accountable more than anyone can,” he added.

He is also preparing for the games without any distractions. Chiefs reporter Pete Sweeney claimed that Jones deactivated his social media profiles before the Week 5 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, his slump has continued. With a 60.3 PFF grade, he is 20th among 27 linemen with 80% snaps.

It places extra pressure on the Chiefs, who need him to return to his All-Pro form. They failed to observe the signs of decline last year, when he recorded only 5 sacks (lowest since rookie season) and 19 solo tackles (lowest since 2021 and 3rd lowest overall). He failed to defend a single pass in 2024, the first time in his career. Yet, GM Brett Veach hopes Jones will return to his form after their big bet last year.

Chiefs GM relying big on Chris Jones

Last year, Cris Jones signed a 5-year $158.7 million contract extension with $95 million guaranteed. It was at the top of the list for the GM. But they ignored a lot of things, particularly that he is 31 years old. It remains to be seen how his next 3 years will go. For now, they want him to perform well this year.

On the other hand, no one is counting Kansas City out of the 2025 season yet. Chris Jones is also predicting a comeback. The NY Times playoff simulator gave them a 76% chance of qualifying for the playoffs.

“That’s the beauty of an NFL season. It’s a marathon, and the journey of the marathon is longevity,” Jones said.

However, if he continues to fail, the criticism will only grow louder. He saw it beforehand in the offseason this year. When the 3rd episode of ESPN’s documentary The Kingdom aired, it featured all those naysayers who wanted the dynasty’s downfall. They accused referees of favoring the Chiefs and also targeted the TE Travis Kelce over his relationship with billionaire pop star Taylor Swift.

It surprised Chris Jones, and he questioned why so many people seem to want the Chiefs to fall off. The DT even compared them to the 2000 Patriots when everyone wanted Tom Brady & co. to lose. But that’s just the way the league has been. The Chiefs were on a streak before losing to the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX. Yet this year, while the team is under heavy pressure, Chris Jones will have a lot more questions to answer if he fails to deliver on the field.

As he battles to regain his form, the criticism will only intensify.