Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones turns 30 on July 3 and has seven years of NFL experience under his belt. So, it’s safe to say he has put a lot of football mileage on his body.
That’s why Jones has asked Chiefs head coach Andy Reid for some rest days during training camp this summer.
“Listen man, I’ve already been talking to Andy about, ‘Let me skip out on training camp. I’m a little older, right?’” Jones said on June 26 at his youth football camp at Blue Valley Southwest High School in Overland Park via The Kansas City Star. “I can feel it. I can feel when we have a day on training camp. Give me like two days off and one day on then, and we maybe can work something out, you know?”
Though Jones has a strong case to take some rest days he is still trying to convince Big Red.
“He just looked at me,” Jones said when asked about Reid’s response to his request. “So the conversation is still ongoing.”
Jones also shared what he believes is a fair rest-day schedule for him.
“If I’m able to do a day on, a day off, or a day on and a half a day (off), I can do that,” Jones said. “I think it’s pretty fun.”
Should Chiefs Agree to Fulfill Chris Jones’s Request?
The two-time defending Super Bowl champions have their eyes set on a three-peat, which means, if all goes according to plan, they will be playing in February of 2025. If that’s the case, then Kansas City needs its players to remain energized and healthy toward the end of the season.
That’s why it would be wise for the Chiefs to give Jones rest during training camp, that way he has less mileage put on him in July/August with the hope that he can put together another dominant campaign once the regular season begins.
For what it’s worth — Travis Kelce, Kansas City’s 34-year-old tight end, deserves the same schedule Jones is requesting.
Chris Jones: ‘Every Year I Chase Greatness’
Jones signed a five-year, $158.7 million contract with the Chiefs on March 9. That means Jones is under contract until his age-34 season. Giving Jones a five-year extension at 29 years old means Kansas City believes Jones can perform at a high level well into his 30s.
It just so happens Jones believes the same for himself.
“Every year I just chase greatness. I don’t think (any) amount of money is going to change my love and passion for the game of football no matter how successful I’ll be,” Jones said during his press conference on March 12. “I’m always chasing greater heights. So, I think the Chiefs understand and see my perspective of the game and how much I love the game of football.”
Jones also gave a shoutout to the people who helped make his new deal with the Chiefs happen.
“To be honest with you there are three guys who are the reason this deal got done Clark Hunt, Brett Veach, and (Chris Jones’s agents Jason and Michael) the Katz brothers,” Jones said. “We were able to work with the Hunt family, so understandingly. Through the midst of the journey, holding out and actually coming to the game. There are so many ways that can be viewed as an owner, and he was so patient and so understanding. I think we both eagerly wanted this deal to get done. In my eyes, Clark Hunt is an A+ in my book.”
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Chiefs DT Chris Jones Issues Request to HC Andy Reid: ‘I’m a Little Older’