For several years, the interior defensive line was Chris Jones & Co.
The Kansas City Chiefs have been quite fortunate to have Jones dominating from the heart of their defensive front for the last decade. The superstar tackle has a Hall of Fame-worthy resume and remains one of the single greatest interior disruptors in the game today. So when the Chiefs seemed to largely ignore the parts around him, the results were still positive, even as Jones was getting all the attention from opposing coordinators.
Those days are now gone. While Jones remains the greatest pass-rushing force for Steve Spagnuolo's defense, he's also never had more help around him than the present moment. The Chiefs made significant investments inside in both free agency and the draft, and Jones appreciates what he's seeing from both primary newcomers at defensive tackle.
The Chiefs signed Khyiris Tonga away from the New England Patriots this offseason with a three-year contract in free agency. After years as a journeyman signing, Tonga came into his own last year for the Pats as a dominant run-stuffer, and the Chiefs rewarded him with his first long-term deal. Jones spoke with reporters on Thursday about his respect for Tonga even before he arrived and how he's happy to play alongside him instead of against him.
"I'm glad he's on our side of the ball," said Jones in a post-practice media session from training camp in St. Joseph. "I actually found Tonga, when they played the Denver Broncos [in the 2025 AFC Championship], how he was resetting the line of scrimmage. That's lucky that's how life works—the cycle of life that we were able to acquire him to our d-line. He's a great asset for us, and we were able to utilize him on first and second downs."
The Chiefs have surrounded Chris Jones with more talent than ever, and the lineman has a lot of appreciation for the new faces.
The biggest offseason addition was a first-round investment in Clemson's Peter Woods at No. 29 overall. Woods gives the Chiefs another prospect with an elite ceiling who will likely carry the torch at the position if and when Jones ever decides to call it a career. In the meantime, Jones can help Woods maximize his potential as a mentor in the role up front.
Jones has a real appreciation for Woods' natural talent even as he emphasizes the learning curve for the first-rounder.
"He's strong. A young bull. I think, for him, it's just putting it all together. He has the skill set. He has the power for it. Also, he's strong as an ox. And he's willing to learn. I think a lot of these guys, coming from college, being one of the top guys in college, humbling yourself and being willing to learn and being a sponge— I think that's most important to what he is, and I think he's going to contribute to this defense a lot this year."
Together with last year's second-round pick, Omarr Norman-Lott, the Chiefs have the strongest collection of talent surrounding Jones in years. The star certainly has to appreciate how others will help carry the load, even as he learns how to take on a new mental aspect of shepherding some young prospects around him.
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