The start of the 2023 NFL season is this Thursday, with the Kansas City Chiefs kicking things off at home against the Detroit Lions. The Chiefs have the opportunity to defend their Super Bowl title with many returning players, one of whom likely won’t be on the field this week due to his ongoing holdout.
Chiefs All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones remains absent from the team, with negotiations regarding his contract still an issue. Fellow All-Pro and teammate Travis Kelce made a suggested plea for Jones to return to the team during the most recent episode of his New Heights podcast with brother Jason Kelce. During Monday’s press conference, Kelce addressed his comments on the podcast and revealed his last communication with Jones.
Buy Chiefs Tickets“I was more so just trying to have some fun with talking about the situation. Try and bring light to it just trying to be funny,” said Kelce, “But at the end of the day, you know, Chris has his situation. He has his reasons. It ain’t none of my business. I’m trying to win football games, and hopefully, we can get him back as soon as possible because I know how great of a player he really is.”
Jones joined the Chiefs tight end recently in filming a commercial for DIRECTV, which is ironically the last time they both spoke, according to Kelce. He didn’t want to pry into his business and explained to reporters his reasons.
“I don’t know what his situation is,” Kelce explained. “I stay out of everybody else’s situation in terms of that, just so I don’t wrap my head around. You know what I’m doing but or what they’re doing based off of my intentions.
“I just, I just keep it moving, man. Hopefully, like I said, we can get it back. And we can just be the best football team we possibly can. But I never based someone else’s situations or their decision-making off of, you know, things that I may have done. I just don’t think it’s fair.”
Kelce did mention that he had a blast working with Jones on the comedic commercial during the offseason.
