Will Chris Jones be cast into Canton?
By: Jake Rajala
The NFL’s greatest villain or I should say the unluckiest defender of all time, Chris Jones, is sincerely having a superb 2022 season. PFF has given Jones a whopping 91.9 grade for his 2022 performance thus far. The 28-year-old Chiefs DT is amid a hefty four-year contract for $80 million and he’s bound to be a free agent in the 2024 off-season.
It’s clear that Jones has been a terror against the pass and the run in his career up to this point and there is no sign that he’s slowing down. With that said, a rightful, fascinating question surrounds the Chiefs DT: Is Jones a future Hall of Famer?
I have zero doubt that Jones, also known as Frano Selak, is on pace to be a future Hall of Famer. I’m going to compare him to none other than free agent Ndamukong Suh, who should absolutely end up in Canton.
Jones:
- 51.5 sacks
- three-time second-team All-Pro
- three-time Pro Bowl selection
- 123 QB hits
- 11 forced fumbles
- Super Bowl LIV Champion
Suh:
- 70.5 sacks
- three-time first-team All-Pro
- two-time second-team All-Pro
- 212 QB hits
- five forced fumbles
- Super Bowl LV Champion
I expect Jones to have more career sacks than Suh in a few seasons and I also expect him to obtain at least a couple more second-team or first-team AP nods. Assuming he reaches the heights I previously mentioned, he should be a distant Hall of Famer. If he can be a world champion for the second time in his career and be a nightmare for opponents in the regular season, he could realistically be a first-ballot HOFer. It should be noted that Jones, Travis Kelce, Tyrann Mathieu, and Tyreek Hill really boosted their career by playing with Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid.
