Chris_Jones_(defensive_tackle,_born_1994)
Chris Jones (defensive tackle, born 1994)
American football player (born 1994)
Christopher Deshun Jones (born July 3, 1994) is an American football defensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, and was selected by the Chiefs in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft. Jones is a three-time Super Bowl champion, a five-time All-Pro member, and has been named a Pro Bowler on five occasions.
Jones with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017 | |||||||||
| No. 95 – Kansas City Chiefs | |||||||||
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| Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | (1994-07-03) July 3, 1994 (age 29) Houston, Mississippi, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 310 lb (141 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Houston (MS) | ||||||||
| College: | Mississippi State (2013–2015) | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2016 / Round: 2 / Pick: 37 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2023 | |||||||||
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| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||||||
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Jones attended Houston High School in Houston, Mississippi, where he played high school football for the Hilltoppers.[3] Jones was considered a five-star recruit and was ranked among the top players in his class.[4][5] He committed to Mississippi State University to play college football.[6]
Jones played for the Mississippi State Bulldogs from 2013 to 2015. As a true freshman in 2013, he appeared in all 13 games and made three starts. He had 32 tackles and three sacks.[7] As a sophomore, he appeared in all 13 games and had 26 tackles and three sacks.[8] As a junior, he started all 13 games, recording 44 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Following the conclusion of his junior year, Jones made the decision to forgo his senior year and enter the 2016 NFL draft.[9][10]
College statistics
| Mississippi State Bulldogs | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GP | Solo | Ast | Cmb | TfL | Yds | Sck | Yds | FR | FF |
| 2013 | Mississippi State | 13 | 17 | 15 | 32 | 7 | 28 | 3.0 | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | Mississippi State | 12 | 9 | 17 | 26 | 3.5 | 13 | 3.0 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | Mississippi State | 13 | 16 | 28 | 44 | 7.5 | 21 | 2.5 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 38 | 42 | 60 | 102 | 18.0 | 62 | 8.5 | 54 | 0 | 0 | |
Pre-draft
Coming out of college, Jones was projected by analysts and scouts to be drafted in the second round. He was ranked the eighth-best defensive tackle and the 48th-best prospect by NFLDraftScout.com. Jones was invited to the NFL Combine and completed the entire workout and all the positional drills.[11] While running the 40-yard dash, Jones had a wardrobe malfunction that exposed his genitalia before falling to the ground to fix the issue. This went viral on social media.[12] He attended Mississippi State's Pro Day, but decided he was satisfied with his combine performance and only performed positional drills.
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 5+3⁄4 in (1.97 m) |
310 lb (141 kg) |
34+1⁄2 in (0.88 m) |
10+3⁄4 in (0.27 m) | 5.03 s | 1.70 s | 2.86 s | 4.62 s | 7.44 s | 29.5 in (0.75 m) | 8 ft 10 in (2.69 m) | 26 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[13][14] | ||||||||||||
2016
The Kansas City Chiefs selected Jones in the second round with the 37th overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft. Jones was the fifth defensive tackle drafted in 2016.[15]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Chiefs draft Chris Jones 37th overall | |
| NFL Draft Profile: Chris Jones |
On May 8, 2016, the Chiefs signed Jones to a four-year, $6.23 million contract with $3.44 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $2.73 million.[16]
He entered training camp competing with Jaye Howard, Allen Bailey, Nick Williams, and Jimmy Staten to be the starting defensive end. Jones was named the backup left defensive end, behind Jaye Howard, to begin the regular season.[17]
Jones made his professional regular season debut in the Chiefs' season-opening 33–27 victory over the San Diego Chargers.[18] The following week, he recorded his first tackle and finished with two solo tackles in a 19–12 loss to the Houston Texans. On October 18, 2016, he was named the starting right defensive end after Allen Bailey was placed on injured-reserve with a shoulder injury.[19] On October 23, 2016, Jones earned his first career start and recorded two solo tackles in a 27–21 win against the New Orleans Saints.[20] The next game, he made a solo tackle and his first career sack on Andrew Luck in a 30–14 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.[21] In a Week 10 matchup with the Carolina Panthers, Jones made three solo tackles and sacked Cam Newton in a 20–17 win.[22] On December 8, 2016, he recorded a season-high five combined tackles in a 21–13 win against the Oakland Raiders.[23] On January 1, 2017, Jones recorded a season-high four solo tackles in a 37–27 win against the San Diego Chargers.[24] He finished his rookie season with 28 combined tackles, two sacks, and four pass deflections in 16 games and 11 starts.[25] He was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team.[26]
2017
On September 17, 2017, in Week 2, Jones recorded three sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception in a 27–20 win over the Philadelphia Eagles,[27] earning him AFC Defensive Player of the Week.[28] Overall, he finished the 2017 season with 6.5 sacks, 32 total tackles, one interception, seven passes defensed, and four forced fumbles with five starts and 16 appearances.[29]
2018
During Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jones returned an interception 20 yards for a touchdown in the 30–14 victory.[30] Later in the same game, he was ejected for punching Andrew Norwell in his right thigh after an extra point attempt.[31] Jones has recorded a sack in all games from Week 5 to Week 16, setting an NFL record of 11 consecutive games with a sack. Jones broke the NFL record held previously by Simon Fletcher who recorded a sack from Week 11 of 1992 to Week 3 of the 1993 season.[1][2] Jones was named AFC Defensive Player of the Month for November.[32] He finished the season third in the league with 15.5 sacks, which led the Chiefs, along with 40 combined tackles, five passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and an interception.[33] He was named second-team All-Pro for his performance in 2018.[34] He was ranked 36th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2019.[35]
2019
In Week 10 against the Tennessee Titans, Jones recorded two sacks on Ryan Tannehill, one of which was a strip sack recovered by teammate Tanoh Kpassagnon, in the 35–32 loss.[36] Jones was named to his first Pro Bowl.[37] Overall, Jones finished the 2019 season with 36 total tackles, nine sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and four passes defensed.[38] Jones helped the Chiefs reach Super Bowl LIV. Jones recorded only one tackle, but forced the game’s first turnover and broke up two passes from Jimmy Garoppolo.[39] The Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 31–20.[40] He was ranked 52nd by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2020.[41]
2020
On March 16, 2020, the Chiefs placed the franchise tag on Jones.[42] On July 15, Jones signed a four-year contract worth $80 million, with $60 million guaranteed.[43] He was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list on November 5, after coming in contact with someone who tested positive for the virus.[44] He was removed the following day.[45] In Week 14, against the Miami Dolphins, he recorded his first career safety on a sack on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.[46] Jones finished the 2020 season with 36 total tackles, 7.5 sacks, four passes defensed, and two forced fumbles.[47] He was named to his second Pro Bowl.[48] The Chiefs went on to reach Super Bowl LV, but failed to defend their championship after losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31–9.[49] He was ranked 34th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2021.[50]
2021
In Week 11, Jones had five tackles, 3.5 sacks, a pass deflection, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in a 19–9 win over the Dallas Cowboys, earning AFC Defensive Player of the Week.[51] He was named to his third consecutive Pro Bowl.[52] He was ranked 39th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2022.[53]
2022
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In 2022, Jones recorded 44 tackles, 15.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery. He helped the Chiefs get the #1 seed in the AFC. The Chiefs defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Divisional Round to set up a rematch with Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game. Jones had 2 sacks on Joe Burrow in the Chiefs 23–20 victory. In Super Bowl LVII, Jones recorded three tackles in the Chiefs 38–35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.[54]
2023
Jones did not report to the Chiefs' training camp. He reportedly did not show up because he was holding out for a contract extension as the 2023 season is the final year of his contract. Jones received a mandatory fine of $50,000 for each day he did not report.[55] The Chiefs placed him on the reserve/did not report list on August 29, 2023.[56] On September 11, 2023, Jones and the Chiefs agreed to a new one year contract.[57] The Chiefs activated him the following day and received a roster exemption.[58]
The 2023 Chiefs faced off against the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, which was the Chiefs' second consecutive Super Bowl appearance (and fourth appearance in five seasons). Jones recorded four combined tackles (two solo) in the game.[59] Most importantly, on the first drive of overtime, Jones generated a critical third down pressure in the red zone to prevent a San Francisco third down conversion and touchdown. San Francisco had to settle for a field goal as a result, and Kansas City scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive to win the game and the championship.[60]
2024
A free agent following the 2023 season, Jones signed a five-year, $158.75 million deal to return to the Chiefs on March 11, 2024. The contract contains $101 million in guarantees and makes him the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history in average annual value.[61]
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | Sfty | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | FR | ||
| 2016 | KC | 16 | 11 | 28 | 17 | 11 | 2.0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | KC | 16 | 7 | 32 | 22 | 10 | 6.5 | 0 | 7 | 1 | −3 | −3.0 | −3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 2018 | KC | 16 | 11 | 40 | 35 | 5 | 15.5 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 20 | 20.0 | 20T | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2019 | KC | 13 | 12 | 36 | 23 | 13 | 9.0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2020 | KC | 15 | 14 | 36 | 23 | 13 | 7.5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2021 | KC | 14 | 14 | 27 | 18 | 9 | 9.0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2022 | KC | 17 | 17 | 44 | 30 | 14 | 15.5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 2023 | KC | 16 | 16 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 10.5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 123 | 102 | 273 | 188 | 85 | 75.5 | 1 | 37 | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 20 | 1 | 12 | 3 | |
Postseason
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | Sfty | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | FR | ||
| 2016 | KC | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | KC | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | KC | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | KC | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | KC | 3 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | KC | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | KC | 3 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | KC | 4 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Career | 19 | 17 | 38 | 21 | 17 | 2.5 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
- "Chris Jones Breaks NFL Record for Most Consecutive Games with Sack". Kansas City Chiefs. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
- Gantt, Darin (December 14, 2018). "Chris Jones continues record-breaking sack streak". ProFootballTalk. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
- "DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: CHRIS JONES, Houston High School". Daily Journal. December 23, 2012. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
- "Chris Jones, 2013 Strongside Defensive End". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
- "Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs, Defensive Tackle". Scout.com. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
- Sherman, Mitch (November 16, 2012). "Miss. St. commit Chris Jones gets his UA jersey". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
- "Football: Sophomore tackle Chris Jones turning into defensive phenom for Mississippi State". GulfLive.com. Associated Press. April 12, 2014. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
- Scarborough, Alex (March 25, 2015). "Now a junior, 'the sky's the limit' for Mississippi State DL Chris Jones". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
- Bonner, Michael (January 5, 2016). "MSU junior Chris Jones declares for NFL Draft". ClarionLedger.com. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
- Stephenson, Creg (January 5, 2016). "Mississippi State's Chris Jones set to enter 2016 NFL draft". AL.com. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
- "*Chris Jones, DS #8 DT, Mississippi State: 2016 NFL Draft". nfldraftscout.com. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- Bonner, Michael (February 29, 2016). "Chris Jones runs into wardrobe malfunction at the combine". Clarion Ledger. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- "*Chris Jones – DT – Mississippi State – 2016 Draft Scout/NCAA College Football". DraftScout.com. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
- "2016 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
- "Sportrac.com: Chris Jones contract". sportrac.com. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- "Ourlads.com: Kansas City Chief's Depth Chart: 09/29/2016". ourlads.com. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- "San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs – September 11th, 2016". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
- Paylor, Terez (October 18, 2016). "Chiefs put defensive starters Allen Bailey, Justin March-Lilliard on injured-reserve". Kansas city.relaymedia.com. Archived from the original on November 25, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- "New Orleans Saints at Kansas City Chiefs – October 23rd, 2016". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
- "Kansas City Chiefs at Indianapolis Colts – October 30th, 2016". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
- "Kansas City Chiefs at Carolina Panthers – November 13th, 2016". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
- "Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs – December 8th, 2016". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
- "Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers – January 1st, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
- "Chris Jones 2016 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- "2016 NFL All-Rookie Team". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
- "Philadelphia Eagles at Kansas City Chiefs – September 17th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
- Maya, Adam (September 20, 2017). "Tom Brady, J.J. Nelson among Players of the Week". NFL.com. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- "Chris Jones 2017 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
- "Chris Jones' pick-six for Chiefs was eerily similar to one from his high school days". Charlotte Observer. October 8, 2018. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
- Teicher, Adam (October 7, 2018). "Chiefs DE Jones ejected for throwing punch". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- Goldman, Charles (November 29, 2018). "Chris Jones wins AFC Defensive Player of the Month for November". Chiefs Wire. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
- "Chris Jones 2018 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
- McMullen, Matt (January 4, 2019). "Chiefs Earn an NFL-Most Six Associated Press All-Pro Nods Between the First and Second Teams". Kansas City Chiefs. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
- "2019 NFL Top 100". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
- "Titans rally, spoil Mahomes' return beating Chiefs 35–32". ESPN.com. Associated Press. November 10, 2019. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
- "2019 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
- "Chris Jones 2019 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- "Super Bowl LIV – San Francisco 49ers vs. Kansas City Chiefs – February 2nd, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
- Shook, Nick (February 2, 2020). "Chiefs rally once again to defeat 49ers, win SB LIV". NFL.com. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
- "2020 NFL Top 100". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
- Smith, Michael David (March 16, 2020). "Chiefs apply franchise tag to Chris Jones". Pro Football Talk. NBC Sports. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- Florio, Mike (July 14, 2020). "Inside the Chris Jones deal". ProFootballTalk. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- "Chiefs place DT Chris Jones on Reserve/COVID-19 list; head trainer tests positive". NFL.com. November 5, 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- "Chiefs' Chris Jones set to play in Week 9 vs. Panthers after landing on reserve/COVID-19 list, per report". CBSSports.com. November 6, 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- "Watch: Kansas City Chiefs sack Tua Tagovailoa for safety". Touchdown Wire. December 13, 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- "Chris Jones 2020 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- "2020 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
- "Super Bowl LV – Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Kansas City Chiefs – February 7th, 2021". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
- "2021 NFL Top 100". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
- Gordon, Grant (November 24, 2021). "Colts RB Jonathan Taylor, Vikings WR Justin Jefferson lead Players of the Week". NFL.com. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
- "2021 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
- "2022 NFL Top 100". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
- "Super Bowl LVII – Philadelphia Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs – February 12th, 2023". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
- Florio, Mike (August 14, 2023). "Chris Jones is the lone remaining second-contract holdout". NBCSports.com. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
- "Chiefs 2023 Roster Down to NFL-Mandated 53". Chiefs.com. August 29, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
- "Chiefs & Chris Jones Agree to New One-Year Contract". Chiefs.com. September 11, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
- Goldman, Charles (September 12, 2023). "Chiefs reinstate DT Chris Jones, receive two-game roster exemption from NFL". AtoZSports.com. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
- "Chiefs 25–22 49ers (Feb 11, 2024) Game Recap". ESPN. February 11, 2024. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- Maaddi, Rob (February 12, 2024). "Patrick Mahomes rallies the Chiefs to second straight Super Bowl title, 25–22 over 49ers in overtime". AP News. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
- Camenker, Jacob. "Chris Jones contract details: Chiefs star defender surpasses Aaron Donald as highest paid DT in NFL history". Sporting News. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
- Career statistics and player information from Pro Football Reference
- Kansas City Chiefs bio
- Mississippi State Bulldogs bio