Chris Jones Makes Notable Admission Ahead of Chiefs Season

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Rowan Fisher-Shotton | Last updated Aug 14, 2025 2:48 PM ET

Kansas City’s run from Super Bowl LIV through Super Bowl LIX, three titles and five appearances across six seasons, is the central thread of ESPN’s six-part docuseries "The Kingdom," premiering Thursday on ESPN, ESPN+ and Disney+.

Produced with the team behind "The Last Dance," the series explores the franchise's history as well as an inside look at their 2024 season, including injuries, public scrutiny and the pressure on the defense as Patrick Mahomes managed an ankle issue late in the year.

On Thursday, ESPN’s social push for "The Kingdom" included a clip of Chris Jones reflecting on the shift in sentiment around Kansas City, saying the team went from "so loved" to a target of "Chiefs fatigue," conspiracy chatter and a general "waiting on our downfall."

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Chris Jones, By the Numbers

A second-round pick in 2016 (No. 37 overall), Chris Jones has evolved into the Chiefs’ defensive centerpiece.

He’s a three-time Super Bowl champion (LIV, LVII, LVIII), a three-time first-team All-Pro (2022–2024), a three-time second-team All-Pro (2018, 2020, 2021) and a six-time Pro Bowler (2019–2024). He also owns the NFL record for most consecutive games with a sack (11).

Through 2024, he has 310 tackles, 80.5 sacks, 13 forced fumbles, 37 pass deflections and a defensive touchdown in 138 career games.

The Kansas City Chiefs Dynasty (and Hate)

The Chiefs’ core of Jones, Mahomes, Andy Reid and Travis Kelce delivered titles in the 2019, 2022 and 2023 seasons and made it back to Super Bowl LIX, where a three-peat bid fell short.

"The Kingdom" even devotes an episode to the late-season load on the defense (Jones, in particular) as Mahomes managed an ankle injury and another to the Bills rivalry and how Kansas City’s ubiquity fuels "love and hate in equal measure."

From underdog bias to simple novelty fatigue, NFL fans have been waiting for the Chiefs to fall off for years now, to Jones' point.

Public polling ahead of Super Bowl LIX even reflected 46% of viewers backed the Eagles to win over Kansas City (39%), one in four of whom said it was mainly just to see the Chiefs lose.

Sports dynasties often morph from darlings into villains. The Chiefs, once the upstart antidote to the New England Patriots, now inhabit that role.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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