Clearly, it’s the exact opposite where Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is concerned.
Until Jones is back in the building, Big Red will likely be distressed, but he has no choice but to ask the next defensive linemen up to step up.
“I mean as a coach, when a player is not here, then the next guy is up and rolling,” Reid said Friday, via team transcript. “Chris is a great player, but we’ve got other good players. They’ll have to step their game up to fill the role of defensive tackle, defensive end and so on. Everybody just has to play their best and then you work through it. But to think that you’re going to fill in for Chris, that’s not what you’re doing. You’re just — the next man comes up and you try to utilize his strengths and let him get in there and play. We’ve had success doing that and so we’ll do it again. I know the guys are excited to get in and play.”
With or without Jones, Campbell’s Lions and Reid’s Chiefs clash on Thursday to kick off the 2023 NFL season.