Chiefs look to open season without DT Chris Jones

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It does not look like Chris Jones will be walking through the door for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Jones hasn’t been with the team throughout the offseason and didn’t show up to the team’s first practice ahead of the Chiefs’ Week 1 Thursday opener vs. the Detroit Lions.

The 29-year-old is in the final year of his contract and holding out for a new contract extension. He has already acquired $2 million in fines for missing offseason workouts and training camp.

Head coach Andy Reid didn’t rule Jones out of playing in the game though.

“I can’t tell you that,” Reid said on Sunday.

“I don’t know what his… what his agenda is or when he’s coming or not coming. But we’re rolling right now. I haven’t put much thought into that part.”

Reid refused to speak on the last time he had communication with Jones and likes to refrain from speaking on players’ contracts especially if they’re not with the team at the moment.

“You’re never sure how it’s gonna work out. I mean, you’re dealing with too many people and on this type of thing. So at least he can go either direction,” Reid said. “We need to make sure we’re going in the right direction. And now we’re getting ready to play a game. So you’re either here or not here and that’s how I go about it.”

Reid also isn’t worried about the holdout being a distraction and the whole team is focused on the Lions.

“At this point, you kind of just prepare to play the game with the guys that are in the building and let the front office and [staff] handle that,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “We got a tough test with the Detroit Lions and we’re gonna try to focus on how we can win with the guys that are here.”

Derrick Nnadi and Tershawn Wharton will be starting as the most experienced defensive tackles in the Chiefs’ DL room with rookie Keondre Coburn and second-year player Neil Farrell Jr. rotating in with them.

As always with football teams, they are on a next-man-up mentality.

“If Chris were here and he got hurt, it’d be the same situation,” defensive end George Karlaftis said. “You always prepare with what you got. That’s all we have this offseason and that’s how we’re gonna approach the game. Whoever is here, that’s all we need to win.”

The Chiefs host the Lions on Thursday at 7:20.