How Kansas City Chiefs defensive star Chris Jones helped save the day in Jacksonville

Days before the Chiefs opened the season against the Detroit Lions, Travis Kelce did what he tends to do and said the quiet part out loud over the ongoing holdout of Chris Jones.

“Ah, man, Chris, can you please come back?” he said on the “New Heights” podcast with his brother, Eagles center Jason Kelce. “You’re really scaring me … I really want to get another Super Bowl ring with you, brother. This is me bargaining with you to just come back and play football for the Chiefs. Please, we need you. We need you bad.”

Playful as Kelce’s tone might have been, the message was sincere — as Kelce demonstrated when Jones returned last week after agreeing to an incentive-loaded adjusted one-year deal with the Chiefs.

“I love that guy …” Kelce said Sunday after the Chiefs’ overcame a ragged offensive day to fend off Jacksonville 17-9 at EverBank Stadium. “I just wanted to make sure that he knew we were happy as hell to get him back out there on the field and in the building and just (that) his energy was needed.”

Was it ever — as Jones reaffirmed Sunday with a performance so pivotal it tilted the outcome from what may well have become a jarring second straight loss to open the season.

And it punctuated why he was willing to bet on himself for a staggering future contract with the bidder to be determined rather than, uh, settle for a two-year, guaranteed $54.5 million extension that the Chiefs had on the table, per reports.

Perhaps some lingering tension from the negotiations, or analysis of the negotiation, accounts for why the typically animated Jones was subdued with the media after the game.

He joked only to make a point when asked about his ability to play so much of the game after being out so long.

“I don’t know if I can go again for another three weeks,” he said. “I’ll see you guys in three weeks.”

But it was only rational to expect he’d be challenged to show up as he did Sunday.

And it was borderline stunning that he was able to exert such influence on the game.

“I mean, crazy,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “Just to be able to make that impact on a game after not being in training camp.”

To dominate on a hot (87 degrees at kickoff) and humid (68 percent) day, Mahomes added, “It’s special. It truly is special. I’m glad he’s on my team.”

While Jones influenced the game in many less tangible ways and also batted down a pass, two plays in particular were essential.

Take away his sack on fourth and 5 at the Kansas City 45 late in the first half, and the Jaguars could well have extended the series.

And the Chiefs then may not have made good on their ensuing first touchdown drive of the game — a drive that ended a 60 minute 7 second TD drought.

Jones also led the charge late in the game with the Jags at the Kansas City 14 facing third and 10.

The play was ruled a Trevor Lawrence fumble and a sack split with rookie Felix Anudike-Uzomah, and it left Jacksonville staring at fourth and 12.

After Lawrence’s fourth-down pass went incomplete, the Chiefs ran out the final 4:18.

On a day underscored by Chiefs turnovers (three in the second quarter), 12 penalties, including a stupefying five on right tackle Jawaan Taylor, and too many other offensive mistakes to list here, the defense saved the day with three red-zone stops.

“I’m an offensive guy,” said coach Andy Reid, whose 270th overall career victory left him tied with Tom Landry for fourth in NFL history. “But that was a beautiful thing defensively.”

It wasn’t just Jones, of course.

Especially considering that without him a week before the defense held Detroit to 14 points in a 21-20 loss that featured a Lions interception returned for a touchdown.

But Jones added a dynamic flourish that was hard to anticipate so immediately after he’d missed all of offseason training with the team, camp in St. Joseph and the opener.

Reid had noted that Jones has learned to stay in good shape over the years. And he liked his movement and endurance in practice last week enough that he figured he’d “be able to do his thing” on Sunday.

But he paused and added, “Maybe not to that level.”

His breakout return, though, still reflects gridlock in the negotiations and doubt about where he’ll be after this season.

After all, each side may never have been more motivated to make it work for the long term with Jones turning 30 next year.

Getting him on the field now became the only compromise they could work.

Because of salary cap considerations, the Chiefs aren’t likely to be willing or able to budge from where they’ve been no matter how well he plays this season.

And because of his desire to be paid more as a matter of apparent principle, Jones and his camp don’t figure to take less just to be able to stay in Kansas City.

Each can burnish the other this season, and, heck, maybe there’s some way that shifts the scenario from what it looks like now.

But right here, right now is all we can assume.

And Jones sure showed why the Chiefs “need you bad,” as Kelce put it, with a few momentous plays that buoyed them when they might have been buried on Sunday.

“That’s what I’m here for,” Jones said.