Defensive stars Eric Berry and Chris Jones will make their preseason debuts for the Chiefs as they play the Seahawks on Friday night.
It speaks to the tremendous depth and talent on the Kansas City Chiefs defense that there are still plenty of Pro Bowl players who have already taken several preseason snaps despite the fact that safety Eric Berry or defensive lineman Chris Jones were not two of them. Fortunately both men will be making their preseason debut when the Chiefs square off against the Seattle Seahawks on Friday night.
Both players have been sitting out practice and preseason games as they recover from various injuries. For Berry, he’s been nursing a sore heel, which means he largely sat out practices in St. Joe, although he was faithful to sign plenty of autographs for fans. Andy Reid has never sounded nervous about Berry since the All-Pro safety knows well how to prepare for a regular season.
Jones, on the other hand, is still going to benefit from every rep he can get, so it’s good to see him game-ready heading into the second half of the preseason. Jones had arthroscopic knee surgery from a freak injury in July, a surprise as the Chiefs came together for training camp after time away from OTAs just a month earlier. From the beginning, Reid said that Jones should be fine and the fact that he can suit up for the Seahawks proves him right .
Adding Berry and Jones at this point is important because the third game of the preseason will be the key game for the Chiefs to prepare for the New England Patriots in Week 1. Fans should expect to see starters play the lion’s share of first half snaps as they get into game shape. The team’s final preseason game, against the Tennessee Titans, will largely be a week of extra rest before the gauntlet of the regular season begins.