Steve Spagnuolo reveals what he told Chiefs star Chris Jones in ‘exit interview’

Add as preferred source on Google

The offseason wheels are already in motion, as contracts become a massive talking point, one contract in Kansas becomes a hot topic of discussion.

Chris Jones has been an integral part of this Kansas City Chiefs rebuild since his drafting in 2016. The interior defensive lineman has been a cornerstone of the Chiefs’ dominant defense and has developed into a leader within the locker room.

Jones’ defensive development

This defensive powerhouse has come on leaps and bounds since his introduction into the league. During his rookie year, Jones registered only two sacks. Since then, his intelligence growth of understanding the game in tandem with his developing ability, has been a recipe for success.

In 2019 and 2022, the three-time Super Bowl champion registered a colossus 15.5 sacks respectively.

The interior defensive lineman traditionally does not record more sacks than the edge rusher. The reason for this is the edge rushers are traditionally quicker and smaller, therefore these attributes make them more of a problem for the offensive line.

Hence, it is testament to Jones’ ability that he is boasting sack numbers similar to a defensive edge rusher.

Now, the Chiefs have picked up the option in Jones’ contract which gives them the right to franchise tag the defensive tackle.

An integral piece to the Chiefs defensive puzzle, it comes with no surprise why the franchise is so determined to retain their man.

Spagnuolo full of praise

Steve Spagnuolo has worked with the two time First-Team All-Pro since 2019, the season the Chiefs won their first Super Bowl in 50 years and marked the first chapter of an historic dynasty.

Spagnuolo, with the help of Jones, is the only coordinator in NFL history to win a ring with two franchises.

The legendary coach spoke recently on ‘The Season’ podcast hosted by Peter Schrager, where they discussed all things Chiefs.

During the discussion, Schrager explained how he believed that Jones is one of the most underrated players of his generation.

The Chiefs defensive coordinator was inclined to agree: “I don’t know if maybe because he’s been so good and so dominant do people just get used to it?

“Maybe that happens with these elite athletes. We love him, I hope we don’t lose him, he knows that. He’d like to stay, but you know how this league is.”

The player out of Mississippi state has produced consistent numbers season after season and this could be a reason as to why he is overlooked.

‘Awesome to watch’

Despite not having his best numbers season in 2023, the Chiefs are desperate to secure his long-term services, which tells us everything about Jones’ personality within the locker room.

In Spagnuolo’s conversation with the generational superstar, he was very complimentary about being able to witness his development: “His growth even throughout this year was awesome to watch and see, and I told him that. We had our exit interview and I talked to him a little bit.”

As the saga develops regarding Jones’ contract, one thing we do know, is the determination for the Chiefs to retain a key foundation of their dynasty.