7 Chiefs players who’ve (likely) played their final game in Kansas City
By Matt Conner
Ronald Jones
Yeah, this one didn’t turn out so well for team or player.
When Ronald Jones first signed with the Chiefs last spring, both sides likely thought that the running back would likely play a greater role than he did in 2022. Of course, nothing is guaranteed in the NFL these days and roster construction is a year-round exercise, but still, it was weird to see Jones earn so little playing time and yet somehow stick around.
On the season, Jones played in only 6 total regular season games and started none of them. He generated 92 total yards on 18 touches and 1 touchdown and that includes a single catch of 22 yards—his lone target of the season. It’s not as if Jones’ small sample size was even that bad, statistically speaking, since he averaged 4.1 yards/carry in K.C. It’s just that he couldn’t find his way into the offensive rotation.
Some signs showed up early for Jones in the preseason when the Chiefs sounded so enamored with Isiah Pacheco. From there, Jerick McKinnon took his place as the tandem partner by midseason and everyone else was essentially locked out—including Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who was a healthy scratch for the Super Bowl.
The odd addendum here is that Jones seemed to want out of K.C. before the trade deadline but the Chiefs weren’t having any of it. Despite having other options on the practice squad or even CEH on the active roster, the Chiefs kept Jones as an inactive player for most of the year. Now with his freedom once again, there’s no way he’s back in K.C.