Chris Jones has acknowledged his mistake.
The defensive tackle, who stirred controversy for his apparent lack of effort during the Jaguars’ game-winning play in their 31-28 defeat of the Chiefs, shared with reporters that he sees this as a valuable lesson.
“This has been eye-opening for me,” Jones expressed on Thursday. “Facing some adversity. This play wasn’t really over. You get what I mean? It’s a learning moment. I thought it was done and that I’d outmaneuvered him.”
With only 30 seconds left in the game, Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence stumbled but still managed to slip past the Chiefs’ defense to score a touchdown.
Jones, at 31 years old, had the chance to stop Lawrence but merely watched as the 26-year-old crossed into the end zone.
Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo commented, “It’s a peculiar situation. We always say ‘never assume.’ Everyone seemed caught up in the moment. They thought Chris was down. I hope we can learn from this.”
While Jones wasn’t alone in not making the play, he was in close proximity to Lawrence.
“There were certainly ways we could’ve prevented that play,” Spagnuolo noted. “We thought Chris would have stepped up and made the tackle, but that didn’t happen.”
“Honestly, there were numerous factors that went wrong during that play. All the players recognize that,” Jones reflected.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid expressed his anger regarding Jones’ performance, noting, “This isn’t a new issue.”
Reid added, “The idea of him being down or out is unfathomable. He’s been training hard for this. At the end of the day, that’s the crux of the matter.”
Amid the backlash, Jones has opted to deactivate his social media accounts following the intense criticism he faced regarding his performance.
