KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Less than two hours before kickoff of Super Bowl LX, Chiefs pass rusher Chris Jones made a striking proclamation.
"Took a year off," Jones wrote Sunday on his X account, referencing the Chiefs' absence. "We will be back to it next year!"
If the Chiefs fulfill Jones' prediction next season, one thing must occur during this NFL offseason: General manager Brett Veach and coach Andy Reid must improve the team's collective pass rush that surrounds Jones, the team's best defender.
The biggest issue last season for Chiefs longtime defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and his players was their ability to effectively pressure the opposing quarterback with just a four-man rush. Although the Chiefs ranked sixth in the league in points allowed (19.3 per game), the D-line recorded just 21.5 sacks and struggled to generate consistent pressure. Far too often, Jones, 31, was the lone lineman who could impact the quarterback. He led the Chiefs with seven sacks, 12 tackles for loss and two pass deflections.
"He's developed into a great leader," defensive line coach Joe Cullen said in October. "In the meeting rooms, he's explaining to guys things I may be [going over], saying, 'Hey Coach, can I give a point here?' After practice, he's working with the guys and coaching them up."
In March and April, the Chiefs will have a chance to acquire a pass rusher or two to put alongside Jones.
The Chiefs could target Boye Mafe, the Seattle Seahawks defensive end who recorded two sacks and four quarterback hits as a backup this past season. Sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter the Chiefs were interested in acquiring Mafe before the 2025 trade deadline. One reason was because of his production over the past two seasons: 15 sacks, 28 quarterback hits, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Other players the Chiefs might target are defensive end Jaelan Phillips (Philadelphia Eagles), defensive tackle John Franklin-Myers (Denver Broncos) and defensive end Kwity Paye (Indianapolis Colts).
With the ninth pick in the draft, the Chiefs could prioritize bolstering the defensive end position by selecting a top prospect such as Miami's Rueben Bain Jr. or Texas Tech's David Bailey.
Entering this offseason, the Chiefs have just seven defensive linemen under contract.
The most revealing defensive statistic last season was the unit's 44% third-down conversion rate, which ranked 29th in the NFL, and thus limited the number of possessions for quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the offense. When the Chiefs were eliminated from the postseason in December, one AFC executive said the defense's inability to get to the quarterback was its biggest weakness.
Kincaid all the way down inside the 10!
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"If we plan on winning, especially the front four, we've got to affect the quarterback," Jones said in early November after the Chiefs' 28-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills. "We've got to. It makes it easier for the defense, and it makes it easier for the back end. We've got to take advantage of one-on-one [matchups]. When we get a single block, you've got to win. That's huge going forward. We've got to emphasize on winning our one-on-ones."
In that Week 9 loss, Bills quarterback Josh Allen completed 88.5% of his passes, the highest percentage in team history (minimum 15 attempts).
Throughout the Chiefs' dynasty that included three consecutive Super Bowls appearances, a major part of Spagnuolo's strategy was scheming ways for Jones to have a single matchup on clear passing downs. But last season, offenses were largely able to double Jones and not worry about quickly losing another matchup in the trenches. Spagnuolo also chose to assign his linemen to use twists, games or stunts to gain an advantage against the opposition at a lesser rate than other successful defenses, such as that of the Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots.
Defensive end George Karlaftis, who last year signed a four-year, $93 million contract extension that included $62 million guaranteed, had just six sacks as part of an inconsistent season in which he played multiple games with a thumb injury. Veterans such as Charles Omenihu, Mike Danna, Jerry Tillery and Janarius Robinson didn't make sizable contributions, either, and all four could play elsewhere next season.
DAK AND CEEDEE CONNECT FOR A BIG GAIN ⭐️
— NFL (@NFL) November 28, 2025
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One of the biggest injuries during the season came in October, when rookie defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott, the Chiefs' second-round pick, sustained a season-ending torn ACL in his right knee. Prior to the injury, the Chiefs were planning to increase Norman-Lott's snaps in the second half of the season to see whether he could provide more pass-rushing juice playing next to Jones.
"We had a pretty good thing going before our young guy got banged up, as far as him coming on and being able to rush the passer," Reid said of Norman-Lott last month. "He gave us a little flexibility. We need a couple of the young guys to just continue to grow. I think we'll have a chance to be pretty good. You're always looking to improve in both lines, and you want to make sure those are strong for you."
The Chiefs are optimistic that Norman-Lott will be available for the start of the 2026 campaign. Another young player they hope will show considerable improvement next season is defensive end Ashton Gillotte, who was selected in the third round of last year's draft. He finished last season with 37 tackles, eight quarterback hits, 1.5 sacks and an interception.
"Ashton has given us some really good plays, both in base and sub situations and playing the run really well," Cullen said. "The hardest thing to do when you make that transition from college to the pros is your pass rush. It will come. It took George [until] Week 11 against the Rams in his rookie year to get his first [full] sack."
A bonus for the Chiefs next season would be if they can get a breakout performance from defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah, the team's first-round pick in 2023. Anudike-Uzomah missed all of last year after he sustained a season-ending right hamstring injury in the preseason.
"I really felt bad for Felix," Cullen said. "He's progressing and you're trying to give him a role, and then, bang. I told him there's a silver lining in this: 'You're going to get healthy and then your time is going to come.'"
