Will Chris Jones face suspension from the NFL for hitting Andrew Norwell?
By Matt Conner
Chris Jones is proving his worth to the Kansas City Chiefs these days, which might make his absence hurt if he’s suspended for Sunday’s actions.
On Sunday afternoon, Chris Jones not only dominated the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars, he allowed things to go just a bit too far.
The Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman was ejected from the game when he decided to take out his aggressions in the form of some weird WWE-style punch/hit on Jaguars offensive lineman Andrew Norwell after bringing him down to the ground. You can view the entire play here.
Fortunately the Chiefs were up on the Jaguars by a considerable margin at this point and the team could afford to lose both Jones and Dee Ford to separate ejections (Ford’s taunting of Jags quarterback Blake Bortles got him ejected) and still walk away with a comfortable win. However, these sorts of moments aren’t good for the Chiefs long-term.
Jones’ emotions and adrenaline certainly helped him turn in a peak performance on Sunday for the season. He had a pick-six of Bortles that was likely the play of the entire game, and he was a key part of a pass rush that feasted all day on the Jags offensive front—finishing with 12 hits and 5 sacks on the quarterback.
Given the hit and the ejection, the NFL is going to take a closer look at the play. It’s possible that a suspension could be coming from the league. Obviously Roger Goodell doesn’t take kindly to players adding further injury potential to a game already trying everything they can to reign in the natural violent nature of the sport.
If the Chiefs have to be without Chris Jones for any length of time coming up, the stretch in the near future is a bad time. The New England Patriots loom on the horizon and the Cincinnati Bengals follow suit, a team that’s looking much, much better than anyone expected in 2018. While the L.A. Rams remain the key team on the entire season schedule, the second half overall lightens up considerably compared to a heavy front half.
The Chiefs finally overpowered the bully. dark. Next
If Jones is suspended for even just a single game, he could hurry and serve it to get it over with, but the Chiefs would be wise to appeal or do anything they can to stall the process. Jones is blossoming in his third season with the Chiefs, turning into the sort of consistent disruptive force that John Dorsey envisioned when he selected him. Jones’ combination of athleticism, awareness and physical strength can really blow any play wide open at any given time, but he’s also clearly learning how to bring that combo under his control—to channel those energies in meaningful ways.