Kansas City Chiefs star Chris Jones was named the NFL's best interior defensive lineman.
Kansas City Chiefs star Chris Jones was named the NFL's best interior defensive lineman. originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
As much as Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce get their rightful praise, Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones deserves to be showcased among the best players in franchise history and a cornerstone of KC's recent Super Bowl barrage.
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He is one of just six players on the Chiefs active roster that has appeared in all three of Kansas City's Super Bowl victories over the past six seasons...
And the only player on defense.
The 6-6, 310-pounder has anchored the Chiefs' defensive line since 2016 and has already put together a historic career.
Even entering his 10th NFL season, he isn't slowing down.
PFF revealed their rankings for the defensive tackle position and Jones reigned supreme above all the rest, ranking first among the top 32 interior D-linemen in the NFL.
"What more is there to say about Chris Jones?" the article read. "The future first-ballot Hall of Famer was once again the highest-graded interior defender in the NFL in 2024 (90.2). That makes it 88.0-plus marks in seven of his nine NFL seasons. His 1.69 PFF WAR over the past three years is by far the most among interior defenders."
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The former second-round pick out of Mississippi State has enjoyed a streak of six consecutive Pro Bowl appearances and three First Team All-Pro honors entering this season.
In Kansas City's last two Super Bowl wins in 2022 and 2023, Jones put together two of his best pass-rushing seasons with 15.5 and 10.5 sacks respectively.
Last offseason, he signed a hefty five-year, $158 million contract that deservedly puts him among the highest-paid defensive players in football.
Jones may get outshined by the likes of Mahomes and Kelce on occasion ... but the term "future first-ballot Hall of Famer" does not get thrown around lightly.
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The 30-year-old won't be surrounded by too much star power outside of edge rusher George Karlaftis this season in KC, but the Chiefs still have plenty of ability to make another deep run in the playoffs with hopes of adding to Jones' already storied career.
Related: Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes Reveals 2025 'Motivation'
Related: Mahomes Comments On Kelce's 'Last Ride' with Chiefs
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
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