Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey, Chris Jones Represent Chiefs on Third-Quarter All-Pro Team

With the 2024-25 season reaching its final stretch, the trio of Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey and Chris Jones gets a tip of the cap from a high-profile outlet.

Sep 22, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Kansas City Chiefs guard Joe Thuney (62) celebrates after a victory over the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs' stars have powered them to an 11-1 start to the season, and several of them should earn accolades at the conclusion of the year. Three players, specifically, have managed to rise above their peers and could be in line for Pro Bowl consideration – or even something better – for their efforts.

In a recent article, Pro Football Focus listed its updated All-Pro team with the season roughly three-quarters of the way over. For Kansas City, the trio of left guard Joe Thuney, center Creed Humphrey and defensive tackle Chris Jones made the cut. Gordon McGuinness expanded on the outlet's selection of each player, providing valuable context regarding their high-level contributions thus far.

New year, same Joe Thuney on left side of Chiefs' offensive line

"Thuney’s 91.4 PFF run-blocking grade leads all guards so far this season, which ranks behind only Mailata and Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs among all offensive linemen," McGuinness wrote. "He has impressed as a pass-blocker too, with just eight pressures allowed from 524 pass-blocking snaps."

Thuney carries one of the more expensive price tags for an interior offensive lineman, but it's hard to argue that he hasn't been worth every penny. After starting all 17 regular-season games a season ago and notching first-team All-Pro honors for the first time, the 32-year-old suffered a serious pectoral injury in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. That ended his postseason prematurely and also sent him down a long road to recovery, but the veteran came off the physically unable to perform list during training camp.

Thuney got back in the lineup in time for Week 1 and for the most part, he's picked up right where he left off. Not only is he still an elite run blocker, but his pass protection is as steady as ever. In a wild turn of events, he even briefly filled in for Wanya Morris following the second-year man's benching late in Week 13's win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Thuney's value to the Kansas City front five is immense – his cap hit of just under $27 million for next year seems like a slam-dunk inclusion in the franchise's plans.

Creed Humphrey dominating once again as man in the middle of Kansas City's front five

"The best center in the NFL so far this season, Humphrey’s 93.8 PFF grade trails only Mailata among all offensive linemen," McGuinness wrote. "He has earned a 92.2 PFF run-blocking grade through 13 weeks and has permitted just six total pressures from 524 pass-blocking snaps."

With Jason Kelce no longer in the picture, it sure seems that Humphrey is the game's best center right now. Considering he fixed his snap issues during the offseason and is fresh off a well-deserved, market-resetting contract extension, how can he not be? His consistency in all aspects is eerily similar to that of Thuney, and his blend of football smarts and athleticism is a near-perfect fit on the Chiefs' offensive line. The former second-round pick has started every game possible in his career and figures to make his third Pro Bowl in a row soon. If PFF has anything to say about it, an All-Pro berth might be in the cards for him as well.

Chris Jones still going strong in age-30 season

"Jones has been the league’s best pass-rusher on the defensive interior so far this season," McGuinness wrote. "From 436 pass-rushing snaps, he has accumulated 54 total pressures, a mark that leads all players at the position through 13 weeks."

Even with him out of his 20s, there isn't an interior pass rusher who's doing it better than Jones. The multi-time All-Pro very well could end up on the final list once again for what he's doing in his ninth season. Despite having just five sacks, his pressure numbers and advanced stats (including PFF's own rankings for defensive linemen) remain downright elite. That, combined with the late-game dominance he's flashed and the alignment versatility he provides, makes him borderline invaluable to Steve Spagnuolo's defense. Jones's lucrative contract extension, judging by year one, looks like a no-brainer in retrospect.

Read More: Why Patrick Mahomes, Xavier Worthy Can't Connect on the Deep Ball and How to Fix It