Chiefs could be 0-2 after playing the Jaguars if they don't pay Chris Jones

Before the Jacksonville Jaguars face the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2, they'll need to play the Indianapolis Colts in the opener. However, there are currently several plotlines worth monitoring ahead of the Jags' second game of the season, including whether All-Pro defensive end Chris Jones will suit up.

Jones and the Chiefs are currently in the middle of a contract impasse, which led him to skip the season opener against the Detroit Lions. Kansas City ended up losing 31-30 and you could make the case that having Jones in the lineup would have most likely tipped the scale in their favor. Instead, he watched his team lose from a suite.

Jones, a second-round in the 2016 draft, is a core player for the Chiefs and one of the best defenders in the league. Throughout his career, he's earned four Pro Bowl designations and a First-Team All-Pro selection. Knowing how much havoc he can create in the trenches, Jones is one of the rare NFL players who can afford to hold out in search of a pay bump.

The former Mississippi State Bulldog has a guaranteed salary of $22 million for the 2023 season. However, he's underpaid when compared to the likes of Aaron Donald or Nick Bosa, who just signed a deal that will pay him an annual average of $30 million.

Throughout the process, Jones has made it clear he isn't interested in getting a contract similar to Donald's. Instead, he's reportedly aiming at one that pays him around $28 million per year while Kansas City's best offer is one of around the $24 million range.

The Jaguars will take a win whether Chris Jones plays in Week 2 or not

While football is a team sport, there are players that have a bigger impact on the outcome of the game than others. For the Chiefs, they're Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and Chris Jones. Mahomes showed on Thursday Night Football that he needs a semi-decent supporting cast to work his magic while Kelce missed the bout with a hyperextended knee.

Kelce wanted to play despite the coaching staff's objections and ultimately sat out. That's the right approach, as the Chiefs would rather he make a full recovery. On the other hand, the Chiefs will try to address Jones' holdout as soon as possible. The issue is that they could take care of it in the upcoming days or in a couple of weeks.

From an outsider's perspective is hard to tell when Kansas City will put an end to the impasse. There's a chance they won't have found a suitable outcome when they take on the Jaguars in Week 1. While Jacksonville may want to face the Chiefs at full strength to show they're the real deal, a win won't count any less if Chris Jones isn't in the lineup. That's the nature of the sport, if one player isn't available, you turn to the next one.

The Jaguars will most likely prepare as if Jones will play. Heck, maybe by the time you're reading this, he already reached an agreement with his teams. But there's a possibility he might not suit up for Week 2, and if that's the case, Jacksonvill's chances of winning will go up.

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