Chris Jones NFL Draft Stories: Didn’t Truly Want to Go to KC Chiefs

Appearing on the New Heights podcast, Jones shared his pre-draft experience with Kansas City.
Chris Jones NFL Draft Stories: Didn’t Truly Want to Go to KC Chiefs
Chris Jones NFL Draft Stories: Didn’t Truly Want to Go to KC Chiefs /
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Chris Jones, a two-time Super Bowl champion and a four-time Pro Bowler with the Kansas City Chiefs, has sacked the opposing quarterback 67.5 times since entering the league as a second-round pick. Teams passed on selecting him 36 times, as the former Mississippi State standout went to Kansas City with the 37th overall selection in the 2016 NFL Draft. Not only has he managed to outperform his draft slot, but he remains an All-Pro caliber player in his age-29 campaign. 

Jones and the Chiefs have enjoyed quite a fruitful partnership over the years, but he didn't always necessarily want it to unfold that way.

Appearing on a special edition of the New Heights podcast with Jason and Travis Kelce, Jones shared a multitude of stories leading up to and including his time in the NFL. One of them pertained to his pre-draft and in-draft experiences, both of which the Chiefs clearly played a significant role in. When then-general manager John Dorsey invited Jones to a pre-draft dinner on behalf of the franchise, however, Jones apparently wasn't feeling too hot about the prospect of joining forces in Kansas City: 

"The Chiefs, they acted like the girl that never really liked me but they were just giving me the time of the day. I was like, 'cool.' They offered to take me to dinner, and I was like, 'I don't really want to go to the Chiefs, but I'll go.' Honest to God, bro, John Dorsey called me and he was just like, 'What the f*** are you going to do?' I was like, 'Nothing right now, I'm not even on the team!' I didn't know what to tell him, but I had dinner with them. They were the last team that I thought was actually going to get me..."

According to Jones, the Chiefs were one of three teams he felt were seriously tied to selecting him in the draft. Despite the Cleveland Browns coming off as legitimately interested in him, Jones said a "pump fake" led to someone else being picked instead. He also described "real connectivity" with the Jacksonville Jaguars, although that organization also ended up having other plans. Kansas City, the franchise that seemingly showed the lowest level of interest of the trio, was the fit.

Once Jones finally heard his name called on the second day of the draft, he was quite emotional. The star interior defensive lineman hugged NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on the grand stage, celebrating his dream finally coming true. In a twist, though, Jones says he may have gone a bit overboard in the hours leading up to getting drafted: 

"I was a little drunk. After I realized I wasn't going in the first round, I got drunk that night and passed out. Had a little hangover, I took another sip. Me and my boys [were] taking a sip before it all goes down, I was a little nervous. I got my name called and I was a little nervous; I didn't know if I should be excited or crying. So I'm looking at everybody like 'What should I do?' The alcohol was talking to me, man. So I see Roger and I'm like, 'Man, give me a hug, please.'"

The rest is history, as Jones logged 15.5 sacks in his third year on the job and sparked the first of five consecutive productive years in Kansas City. Back on a new one-year deal following a lengthy offseason holdout, 'Stone Cold Jones' is looking to cash in on some serious contract incentives and set himself up for a long-term pact in the spring. Even though his trip down memory lane on New Heights revealed that he didn't originally love the Chiefs, it's safe to say that his passion for the franchise grew exponentially over time. 

Read More: Rashee Rice Is Showing Legit Promise Early in His Rookie Season


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Jordan Foote
JORDAN FOOTE

Jordan Foote is the deputy editor of Kansas City Chiefs On SI. Foote is a Baker University alumnus, earning his degree in Mass Media.