Arrowhead Pride
In the defensive trenches for the Kansas City Chiefs, veterans like tackle Chris Jones have been leading the way under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. However, when seasoned players like Mike Danna and Charles Omenihu departed this offseason, along with tackles Derrick Nnadi and Mike Pennel, Jones was left as the only “unc” remaining.
Second-year defensive end Ashton Gillotte can feel the difference. During his press conference on Wednesday, he pointed out the fresh feelings in the locker room compared to last season.
“It’s good to have people around my age,” Gillotte said to reporters. “Last year, I didn’t really have a defensive end until the end of the year that was my age, so you can joke around a little bit more, be a little bit more loose, it’s less big brothery, where now I can actually rough up with them rather than just be like ‘yeah man, how is it going, what do I need to do.’”
“It will show up on the field,” Gillotte assured after the comedic tone. “We’re more cohesive, more tight.”
Later, Jones was asked about the youth movement in his own press conference, laughing off the implication by a reporter that Jones was “old.”
“For me, I use it as motivational points,” Jones said. “They’re younger, might be a little faster also, but the mental aspect, I try to stay sharp on.”
“I think it’s fun when you have a lot of young guys that are hungry,” Jones admitted later. “I think it’s a challenge accepted, and I’m looking forward to playing with those guys.”
One of the youngest players up front will be Jones’ running mate at tackle. Peter Woods, a first-round pick, is hoping to have a similar career arc as Jones, defying the lack of sacks in college to become a real pass-rush threat in the NFL.
“He’s a big guy, he’s strong,” Jones described of Woods. “He’s a young bull, he’s got so much potential, his skillset is still improving. It’s good to get that type of talent in the building. We can utilize him in a lot of ways, he played end, he played nose, he also played three-technique, so that versatility, we definitely can utilize it in the schematics of Spags’ defense.”
Woods’ weight is a point of contention, another similarity to Jones when he was selected in the 2016 NFL Draft out of Mississippi State. At Clemson, Woods was asked to slim down for the 2025 season, which may have led to his drop-off in efficiency as a pass rusher.
Last week, defensive line coach Joe Cullen was confident about Woods’ weight, but Jones offered a long-term perspective on the weight Woods could end up playing at, drawing on his experience shaping his physique as a professional athlete.
“It helps with the physical aspect of being healthy and not carrying so much on the knees, the body throughout a long season,” Jones said. “Because the body eventually starts to feel [it], the knees start to get heavy....
