Chris Jones of the Chiefs encourages George Karlaftis, saying, “He needs to get ten.”
The top pass rusher for Kansas City, who leads the team in sacks in his second season, is thrilled with his development.
With three games remaining in the regular season, several Kansas City Chiefs players are on the verge of reaching significant statistical milestones. Chris Jones, a defensive tackle with multiple contract incentives linked to the number of sacks he accumulates this season, stands out among the defense’s incentives.
Jones is unlikely to receive the $2 million bonus for being named Defensive Player of the Year (and the club winning the Super Bowl) with just 7.5 sacks. He would receive $1.25 million if he reached 10 sacks, but it would take an incredible run to reach 15 sacks, which would entitle him to an extra $500,000.
But Jones suddenly appears more focused on a teammate’s number of sacks. George Karlaftis, a defensive end, has nine. Jones is pushing the edge rusher in his second year to the ten-year milestone.
Jones told the journalists on Thursday that “he needs to get 10.” “I’ve been putting him down for the entire week; we’ve been talking about it.” I want to encourage him to reach his goal of having double-digit [sacks], which was one of his preseason objectives. He puts in a tonne of effort both throughout the season and in the off-season. As far as his playing goes, it would be great for his confidence and to have something to improve upon.
Karlaftis has contributed steadily to the team’s pass rush, recording three sacks in the previous five games. In addition to leading the club in sacks, he leads the group in pressures applied and batted passes, per PFF. Jones urges us to keep in mind how young Karlaftis is as a football player even though he has witnessed his improvement.
Jones said, “I’ve seen some maturity in his understanding of the game.” George is still studying and has a lot to learn because he didn’t start playing football until he was a junior in high school. That is all that can be asked of him: to get better each and every year, no matter what. He is improving. If he keeps doing that, the possibilities are endless for him.
