Have Ronald Jones’ chances of making KC Chiefs chances improved?

After the Kansas City Chiefs’ moves on Tuesday, does running back Ronald Jones has a better chance of making the team’s 53-man roster?

Kansas City Chiefs running back ronald jones has been the talk of the town. Not in a good way, though.

Jones’s preseason struggles and lack of carries are one of Kansas City’s biggest preseason storylines. A veteran and Super Bowl champion, Jones joined the Chiefs this offseason with unreasonably high expectations. Between wishful thinking and lackluster play from Clyde Edwards-Helaire, fans thought that Jones could push for Kansas City’s RB1 spot. At the very least, he could have been a change of pace back, featured on early downs.

Jones’ ability has not been questioned this preseason, especially as he racked up training camp highlights. Pairing him with an elite interior line seemed like a recipe for success.

In two preseason games, Jones has been anything but fun to watch in Kansas City. He has only one rushing yard on four attempts and one reception in three years. Seven all-purpose yards are not going to get Jones on the 53-man roster, and rightfully so. He continues to struggle with pass protection, limiting his offensive role even further. Jones’ chances of staying in Kansas City looked bleak just one day ago. Now, the running back room has changed in Kansas City.

The Chiefs placed another running back, Derrick Gore, on injured reserve and prematurely ended his 2022 season. While Gore and the Chiefs can work out an injury settlement possibly, Gore will not see action this year in a Kansas City uniform. That removed another obstacle for Jones, likely leaving two rookies for his competition. But, while the situation looks better, does Jones really have a chance of making this roster?

The simple answer is no. The long answer is no, unless the Chiefs break their own precedent.

Look back at the past two initial 53-man rosters. The Chiefs carried three running backs and one fullback. The top three running backs right now are Edwards-Helaire, Jerick McKinnon, and rookie Isiah Pacheco. That is clear as day. Those three running backs are the only three who saw notable first-team action against the Washington Commanders.

Also, in no way is Jones pushing veteran fullback Michael Burton off the roster. He has been utilized extensively on offense and special teams. The fullback is still important, at least to head coach Andy Reid.

Admitting that Jones will likely not make the 53-man roster is slightly bittersweet. On the one hand, fans have to be excited about how Pacheco has looked. He has captured the spotlight both offensively and as a special teams player. There is a lot of hype, to an excessive degree at points, surrounding Pacheco’s contributions in the 2022 season. But, on the other hand, Jones could have been a throwback sort of back, one that Chiefs fans have not seen in many years. During the franchise’s dark days, a solid ground game was the team’s calling card. That continued for a bit once Reid took over but quickly went away.

Kansas City bringing in Jones could have been a change in play style at a point where the Chiefs offense needed it. If the Chiefs move on from Jones, then that shows both the team’s comfort with the current scheme and an unwillingness to change aspects of the said scheme. If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it, right?

Jones’ path to the 53-man roster has fewer obstacles but still remains a long shot. PFF’s Trevor Sikkema highlighted Jones’ need for a huge performance in the final preseason game to keep his roster chances alive. But, after a poor preseason so far and limitations in his game, it is hard to imagine Jones bumping either McKinnon or Pacheco off the roster.