Chiefs handed huge boost with both Travis Kelce and Chris Jones BACK for Jaguars game as Patrick Mahomes’ team looks to bounce back from Lions loss

Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones will make their season debuts Sunday in Jacksonville, according to a report from NFL Network.

The two stars did not play in the season opener, a 21-20 home loss to the Detroit Lions on September 7, for various reasons.

Kelce, 33, injured his right knee during practice on September 5 and was diagnosed with a bone bruise. He trained to a limited extent on Wednesday and Thursday.

Kelce, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection who has lately been romantically involved with pop star Taylor Swift, has totaled 814 catches for 10,344 yards and 69 touchdowns in 144 career games (137 starts) with the Chiefs.

According to NFL Talk on . confirmed by the team.

Kelce & Jones celebrate their Super Bowl LVII victory against the Philadelphia Eagles in February

The 29-year-old Jones ended his stint that began in training camp after agreeing Monday to a new one-year deal with incentives that could reportedly pay him more than his $19.5 million base salary — the final of his four-year, $80 million contract. signed in 2020.

Jones collected 15.5 sacks in 17 games last season and earned his fourth Pro Bowl nod. In 107 games (86 starts) for the Chiefs since being drafted in the second round in 2016, Jones has recorded 65 sacks, 12 forced fumbles and 243 tackles.

The Jaguars are 1-0 after a 31-21 victory over the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday. On Sunday they will try to start 2-0 for the second time in 17 seasons. On the other hand, the Chiefs are still looking for their first win of the season after their season-opening loss to the Detroit Lions, 21-20, at home.

Kansas City will look to avoid its first 0-2 start since 2014 and become the first Super Bowl champions to dig such a hole since Denver in 1999.

‘It does not feel right; you want to win,” Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “Obviously you wanted to win that first game but you didn’t, so you just have to wash that out of your mind and go to the next game and try to make yourself better so you can go out there and have a chance to get. to win.’

Jones celebrates a sack with Kelce during the third quarter against the LA Chargers last season

The Jaguars don’t seem to have completely moved on from last season, as they still feel like they should have beaten Kansas City in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs.

And they can easily remember why it didn’t happen: allowing a 98-yard touchdown drive to a backup quarterback in the second quarter, failing to score on two possessions in the third and committing two turnovers in the fourth.

“We owe them,” Evan Engram said.

“We’re going to have to beat teams like this to get where we want to go,” Jaguars receiver Christian Kirk said. “I think it’s really important that we approach it that way. I’m looking forward to seeing how we respond when things get tough and hopefully turn out positive.”

Jaguars coach Doug Pederson is winless in three games against Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, his good friend and mentor. All three came to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

The Chiefs defeated Pederson and Philadelphia 27-20 in Week 2 of the 2017 season. The Chiefs defeated the Jaguars last season, winning 27-17 in Week 10 and 27-20 in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs.

“I have a lot of respect for coach Reid and his career and what he’s done,” Pederson said. “Of course you’d love to eventually win a football match against him.”