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Kansas City Chiefs star DT Chris Jones feels rejuvenated from calf injury ahead of playoff tilt with Houston Texans

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Charles Goldman | Last updated Jan 15, 2025 5:12 PM ET

The most important player for the Kansas City Chiefs defense is feeling fresh for the AFC playoff game against the Houston Texans this weekend.

KC Chiefs DT Chris Jones sat out of the Week 17 game on Christmas Day against the Pittsburgh Steelers due to a calf injury he suffered the week prior when the team faced the Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. With the team clinching a first-round playoff bye week against the Steelers, Jones essentially got a three-week rest at the end of the season between Week 17, Week 18, and the bye week. The time off allowed him to rest, recover, and be fully healthy for the upcoming divisional round game.

"I feel really, really good," Jones told reporters on Thursday. "I was able to get three weeks of rest and get my legs back under me. It was a long season. Fortunately enough, we were able to seal the first-round bye after the Pittsburgh game, and I was able to take another week off. So I basically had two to three bye weeks. [I] feel really good, feel excited, ready to go play some football."

Quick #Chiefs' practice look in: DT Chris Jones (No. 95) and CB Jaylen Watson (No. 35) pic.twitter.com/RhlRVml5Fs
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) January 14, 2025

Jones participated fully in practice on Tuesday, his first full day since before Week 16's game against Houston. He and his defensive teammates, who all have extensive experience in postseason games, are switching gears to playoff mode.

"Yeah, we only have a handful of guys on defense that haven't been in this moment, I think, like two or three guys on defense that haven't had a Super Bowl or have been to the AFC Championship," Jones said. "And I think those guys get the importance of locking in and how important these games are right now. It's not like if we lose, we can come back and play again. Everything right now is hyped up, whether it's your own personal ability, your skill work, everybody's putting extra work in throughout the building. I think it's a fun time, man, it's a fun time. You've got to appreciate this. There's not a lot of teams left. There are eight teams left, and we're one of them."

All of the team's goals remain ahead of them, with just two wins standing between the Chiefs and Super Bowl LIX. It all starts this week with the Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, and a rejuvenated Jones is helping to lead the charge for a defense looking to shut down a confident Houston offense.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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