What does it take to be a top player in the NFL? Some might say it is the ability to perform under pressure, especially in the biggest game of the year: the Super Bowl. But what if performance in the Super Bowl is not enough to earn the respect of the teammates? This is the dilemma faced by one of the best quarterbacks in the league, Patrick Mahomes, who led his team, the Kansas City Chiefs, to two consecutive Super Bowl appearances, only to be overshadowed by a rival player and a controversial comment.
Today Mahomes is ranked among the top players in the NFL for the 2022 season, but also his teammate Chris Jones surprised everyone by making the top 10 and stirring up some drama by praising Jalen Hurts, the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback who lost to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
Chris Jones hails Hurts’ uniqueness
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Netflix Quarterback star has been officially named the top player in this year’s Top 100 by the NFL. When presented with the trophy, Patrick Mahomes exclaimed, “Let’s go! That’s awesome. I appreciate it. Never take it for granted. There’s so many great players in this league and for the players to vote me as number one player, definitely an accomplishment that I always will have now.” Also, Chris Jones achieves a career-best No. 10 spot in the 2023 NFL Top 100 Players poll, gaining his first Top 10 appearance.
The No. 1 player on the #NFLTop100: @PatrickMahomes
Stream the entire Top 100 countdown on NFL+ https://t.co/YUCK1vhogf pic.twitter.com/GN9zHkliuZ
— NFL (@NFL) August 8, 2023
On the other hand, a contrasting view emerged when ‘Eagles Nation’, might be in response to an NFL Twitter post, swiftly mentioned that Chiefs’ defensive tackle Chris Jones praised Jalen Hurts for having the best Super Bowl quarterback performance ever witnessed.
Chiefs DE Chris Jones says Jalen Hurts had the greatest QB Super Bowl performance he’s ever seen : “He had the best performance in the Super Bowl that I've ever seen of a quarterback – running the ball, throwing the ball. He balled out.” pic.twitter.com/RtgNJfIM5Q
— Eagles Nation (@PHLEaglesNation) August 8, 2023
Jones backed his claim, “He had the best performance in the Super Bowl that I’ve ever seen of a quarterback – running the ball, throwing the ball. He balled out.” This praise holds weight, considering Jones’ firsthand experience playing alongside Patrick Mahomes in multiple Super Bowls. Adding more shocks, there’s speculation that the Chiefs probably trading star Chris Jones instead of meeting his contract demands.
Chiefs on the verge of losing Chris Jones?
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On Monday, General Manager Brett Veach clarified to ‘The Kansas City Star’ that the team has no plans to trade anyone. Specifically, he mentioned that they aren’t looking to trade Chris Jones. Veach pointed out that when they made a previous move involving Tyreek Hill, they considered a possible deal for Chris Jones.
Despite ongoing efforts, the Chiefs haven’t been able to agree on terms with Jones, who is currently incurring daily fines of $50,000 for missing training camp. Comparatively, Quinnen Williams signed a $96 million deal with the Jets, while Aaron Donald holds the highest yearly average for a defensive tackle at $31 million.
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The question now is how far the Chiefs are willing to go to resolve this situation, as Jones remains a key part of their plans despite the holdout.