KC Chiefs DT Chris Jones injury news, status update for Week 17 vs. Steelers

With Christmas Day officially here, the Kansas City Chiefs are just hours away from taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers in a battle between two AFC playoff teams. Unfortunately, the reigning Super Bowl champions will likely be without one of their best players.

According to a report from Adam Schefter on Wednesday morning ESPNAll-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones is “unlikely” to suit up for the Week 17 contest.

“Chiefs DT Chris Jones is unlikely to play today against Pittsburgh due to his calf injury, according to league sources,” Schefter wrote. “Jones injured his calf on Saturday against the Texans, and the short week leading up to the Christmas Day game makes it difficult to prepare for pregame warmups.”

Jones, Kansas City’s best defensive player, suffered a calf injury late in the Week 16 win over the Houston Texans. After head coach Andy Reid suffered a calf strain, the 30-year-old left the game and did not return. He subsequently missed the club’s only real training session of the week and was later upgraded to limited based on Tuesday’s expected injury report. That doesn’t seem to be enough for Jones to rely on a quick turnaround, so the Chiefs are likely shorthanded in Pittsburgh.

On Monday afternoon, Kansas City Chiefs via SI chatted briefly about a world without Jones and how the Chiefs would need to plan accordingly this week.

Since Jones will miss the only real practice Kansas City has this week, his chances of playing on Wednesday don’t appear to be increasing one bit. Without him, the team would rely on Tershawn Wharton and supporting defensive tackle players like Mike Pennel and Derrick Nnadi. If Jones doesn’t play, it could also be possible that Charles Omenihu gets center back.

After recording 15.5 sacks in 2022 and 10.5 sacks a season ago, Jones has just five of them in 15 games this season. Still, he has played a big role on defense and has already played 30 more snaps than he did a season ago. Advanced metrics reflect its impact Professional football focus ranks Jones as his second-best interior lineman and his best in the pass rush class. His 74 logged pressures entering Week 17 are the most of any NFL player in their database.

Without Jones, the Chiefs will have a lot of work to do on Wednesday afternoon.

Read more: Wanya Morris praised for stepping up briefly in Week 16 win over Texans