We are a day away from the Kansas City Chiefs’ preseason opener against the Los Angeles Rams, a team that has historically rested its impact players in the preseason.
That will be the case on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium. The Rams have announced that career backup Stetson Bennett will take the reins at quarterback, matching the Chiefs’ decision to sideline starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes by resting veteran and reigning league MVP Matthew Stafford.
When Chiefs star defensive tackle Chris Jones was asked about what he can get out of the preseason, he made his stance clear, in case head coach Andy Reid was listening.
“Why play the starters?” Jones asked local media during his post-practice press conference on Thursday. “There’s so much risk to playing the starters in the preseason. I hope Coach Reid is like, ‘You know what, starters don’t play.‘”
By Jones’ tone, it sounds like Mahomes could be the only starter excused from taking the field to begin Saturday’s game, excluding the players dealing with injuries from training camp.
“It’s good to get repetition, but I don’t want to play in the preseason,” Jones continued. “I’d rather not play, but if I do have to play, I’m going to buckle up.”
The Rams’ offense was as good as there was in the NFL last season, but Jones and the Chiefs’ starting defense — if the group takes the field together — will be facing a B- or C-version of the unit. On top of starting Bennett, head coach Sean McVay is also handing off the play-calling duties to offensive coordinator (and Rockhurst High School alum) Nate Scheelhaase.
“The mentality is like, ‘I want to play against your starters,” Jones explained. “I want to play against the guys that are going to be starting on Sundays, because you like to weigh yourself out, where I’m at and where I can improve. Give me your best talent.”
How do you feel about the preseason? Would you want the Chiefs to play their starters a normal amount, or completely rest them ahead of the regular season? Let us know in the comments.