Arrowhead Pride
Kansas City’s defensive leader has high praise for Philadelphia’s second-year All-Pro defensive lineman.
Star power will be on full display when the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX. While much of the focus will be on the offensive playmakers, the battle in the trenches features a compelling storyline — an established force versus a rising star.
Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones has been a dominant force in the NFL for years, widely regarded as one of the league’s premier defensive players. But ahead of the season's biggest game, Jones took a moment to highlight an emerging talent who could soon join him amongst the ranks of the elite — Eagles second-year defensive tackle Jalen Carter.
“He (Jalen Carter) is amazing,” Jones remarked. “He had an outstanding year. I got so much respect for his game. I think he’s a physical specimen. He keeps up on this trajectory, he’ll probably be one of the better defensive linemen in the game. His play speaks volumes, so I got so much respect for the kid and just wish him the best.”
Carter has wasted little time making an impact in Philadelphia. After earning All-Rookie honors last season, he was named second-team All-Pro in his sophomore campaign, finishing with 42 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 61 combined QB hits and pressures and two forced fumbles. His combination of size, power, and athleticism has already made him one of the league’s most disruptive interior defenders — something Jones has already noticed.
“You can’t really put a ceiling on those types of players,” Jones said, continuing his praise of Carter. “They have so many special traits; whether it’s power, whether it’s speed, or just pure dominance. So many things that young kids can do, but he’s a physical specimen.”
While Jones has high praise for Carter, Sunday presents another opportunity for Kansas City’s defensive anchor to prove why he remains the gold standard in his position. A three-time champion, Jones has delivered on the biggest stages and continues to be the tone-setter for the Chiefs’ defense. His focus this week will be on slowing down one of the NFL’s most potent rushing attacks, led by dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts and All-Pro running back Saquon Barkley.
Philadelphia led the league in rushing attempts (621) and ranked second in rushing yards (3,048), averaging 4.9 yards per carry. Barkley, in his first season with the Eagles, put together a historic campaign — rushing for 2,005 yards, just 101 shy of Eric Dickerson’s single-season record. Jones knows stopping him will be the key to Kansas City’s success as they attempt to complete the historic Super Bowl three-peat.
“I think it’s going to be important for us to establish and be physical dominance up front,” Jones said. “I think it’s heavy on the front seven, maybe even front eight, trying to stop Saquon (Barkley) in the run game. They’ve been having a very good year. Saquon is having his best year yet running the ball. It’s definitely...
