Chris Jones Surprisingly Ruled Out by Chiefs After Testing Injury Ahead of Showdown With Texans
Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones hit the injury report late in the week after suffering an injury in practice.
He was set to test out his injured calf before gametime, and early reports indicated he would be good to go.
That is stunningly not the case, as he has been ruled out for the matchup against the Houston Texans.
No Chris Jones for the Chiefs today. ? https://t.co/9UpifkG7xP
— theScore (@theScore) January 12, 2020
(via @theScoreBet) pic.twitter.com/4JeU0ZaFZt
This is a huge blow to the Chiefs defensive front. Jones leads the team in sacks, and is a top defensive tackle in the NFL.
Needless to say, the all-important pregame workout did not go as planned.
Chris Jones just got done his on the field workout. He was wearing a sleeve on his right calf with a knee brace on that knee as well. I’m told he WILL NOT be active. They wanted to see the workout and make the call. Apparently didn’t see what they wanted.
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) January 12, 2020
The injury was apparently worse than previously expected. Jones would not be missing the game if he was able to play through the pain. Now he is just the latest Chiefs defender to miss time with an injury.
The defense was counting on Jones to pressure Deshaun Watson, and not allow the dynamic quarterback to move around freely in the pocket. His absence could loom large, as it did back in Week 6 when the Texans defeated the Chiefs in KC.
Watson threw for 280 yards in that win, and the Texans offense had 192 total rushing yards. Jones' absence was a major factor then, and the Texans now know how to attack the Chiefs defense when he is off the field.
An AFC South matchup could be looming in the AFC Championship Game if the Chiefs don't properly adjust to Jones being out.