Kansas City visits the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day, but a wrench might have been thrown into the Chiefs’ defensive plans for that clash as Chris Jones exited Saturday’s 27-19 win against Houston early.
According to a post on X by Chiefs on SI deputy editor Jordan Foote, Kansas City head coach Andy Reid termed Jones’ ailment as a calf strain after the game. Head coach Andy Reid also said it’s too early to tell if Jones will be able to play Wednesday against the Steelers.
During the fourth quarter, Chris Jones was shown sitting on the ground and grabbing at his left calf. He was helped up by the Chiefs’ athletic training staff, headed to the Chiefs’ sideline, and was soon listed by the team as questionable to return to the game. Jones was shown later in the broadcast flashing a smile and waving to the camera.
Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes was quoted recently as not being much of a fan of playing three games over an 11-day span.
“It’s not a good feeling,” he told the Associated Press. “You never want to play this amount of games in this short of time. It’s not great for your body. But, at the end of the day, it’s your job, your profession. You have to come to work and do it.”
The Steelers, Texans, and Baltimore are teams that also have to power through such a gauntlet. Pittsburgh is still dealing with injuries of its own, most notably receiver George Pickens’ hamstring issue. T.J. Watt avoided a serious ankle injury against Philadelphia last week and suited up for the Steelers’ critical rivalry matchup with the Ravens.