Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones has been named as one of three nominees for the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year.
As we creep closer to the end of this year’s NFL season, more honors and awards are handed out. The latest bit of news comes in the form of the three finalists for the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year, and the Kansas City Chiefs are well-represented by the appearance of defensive tackle Chris Jones on the list.
Jones is joined on the list of finalists by Dallas Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons and San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa.
Throughout the regular season for the Chiefs, Jones was the anchor for the team’s pass rushing plans and came through by tying his career high in sacks with 15.5—his highest total and his first year with double-digit sacks totals since 2018. He also deflected 4 passes, forced 2 fumbles, and had another 17 tackles for loss.
This season has been a revelatory one for Jones in a number of ways for Jones, who has looked better all-around in this Chiefs defense than he has in years. First, he played in all 17 games and proved he could be a reliable cornerstone for a team that needed every rep he could give. Second, he showed up stronger against the run than ever before, proving he wasn’t just an interior disruptor.
It should be noted that the Chiefs brought in a new defensive line coach this offseason in former Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Joe Cullen. Cullen spent years with the Baltimore Ravens coaching their defensive line and the entire Chiefs defensive front looked better than expected by season’s end with Cullen as their positional mentor.
While Jones is definitely deserving of the honor, the Defensive MVP is expected to fall to Bosa, who has earned similar awards from other outlets before now.