It was somewhat of a surprise when the Kansas City Chiefs chose to move on from 24-year-old defensive end Truman Jones on November 26.
Although Jones had yet to make an impact during the regular season, he’d been a member of the organization and a staple of the KC practice squad since entering the league as an undrafted rookie in 2023. The youngster also flashed potential throughout training camp and the preseason over his first two summers with the Chiefs.
Then, due to a numbers crunch last week, he was released. And it didn’t take long for him to find a new home.
On December 3, exactly seven days after Jones was cut, KPRC 2 NFL insider Aaron Wilson reported that the New England Patriots are signing the former Chiefs prospect to their practice squad.
They are releasing interior offensive lineman Michael Jordan in order to make room for Jones, per Wilson.
Ex-Chiefs DE Truman Jones Regressed in 2024 After Strong Rookie Showing
Kansas City invested the better part of two years in Jones, so it’s obvious that they saw something they liked.
Standing at 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, the Harvard product was considered a priority UDFA following the 2023 draft and he quickly racked up 5 quarterback pressures and 1 key defensive stop during his initial preseason period.
Unfortunately, Jones regressed a bit in year two. With a void at edge rusher after injuries to Charles Omenihu and B.J. Thompson, the second-year pro struggled to make an impact this summer.
Per Pro Football Focus, he only logged 1 quarterback pressure — although it was a sack — and 2 key defensive stops in August of 2024. Jones’ run defense grade also dropped 10 points from the year prior.
The Chiefs displayed a lack of trust in Jones after that. For example, later, after Mike Danna was sidelined for multiple weeks with injury, Kansas City elected not to elevate Jones from the practice squad.
In fact, the KC prospect has never registered a regular season snap inside Steve Spagnuolo’s defense despite a clear need for more pass rushers.
Having said all of that, Jones was still viewed by many as a possible developmental piece with a positive long-term outlook. Barring a future reunion, that is no longer the case as of December 3.
Chiefs Defensive Line Puts Together Mini-Breakout vs. Raiders
Omenihu’s return seemed to spark the Chiefs defensive line in Week 13, even though Omenihu himself had a quiet afternoon (1 quarterback pressure).
Instead, it was superstar Chris Jones who rose to the occasion against the Las Vegas Raiders with 2.0 sacks and 3 quarterback pressures. As did former first-round defensive end George Karlaftis III, who finished with 1.0 sack and 4 quarterback pressures.
It goes without saying that Kansas City needs these two — as well as Omenihu and Danna — to get going as the Chiefs gear up for another playoff run. The four-man pass rush has not been good enough in 2024, forcing Spagnuolo to rely on the blitz more often than not.
According to Pro Football Reference, the Chiefs have blitzed 34.4% of the time this season, which ranks second for the entire NFL. Despite that, they rank sixth lowest in sacks.
On the bright side, Raiders week was a positive development in this regard — being that the defense tallied 3.0 sacks and 14 quarterback pressures. Kansas City will look to keep this trend going against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 14.
