Kansas City Chiefs running back Ronald Jones II has been a hot topic over the last week or so, but not for reasons he wants.
The fifth-year back is currently on the bubble in regard to making the Chiefs final 53-man roster after steadily falling down the depth chart since his arrival in March.
He’s gone from a guy who was thought as a potential starter to a guy who may not make the team in a matter of less than six months. Life comes at you fast in the NFL. Jones may have caught a break, however. Derrick Gore was recently placed on IR with a broken thumb and he was thought as a candidate to make the team.
All of a sudden, the Chiefs need someone to fill that void. Or do they? The Chiefs still have three very capable running backs in Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Jerick McKinnon, and rookie Isiah Pacheco.
Plus, fullback Michael Burton should make the team, meaning, the Chiefs have four running backs at the end of the day.
It’s highly unlikely the Chiefs carry five backs, which again, leaves RoJo on the outside looking in. But, there’s still a chance -albeit a very small one- he could make the team. Even those slim chances took a major hit on Friday when NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport confirmed the recent suspicion surrounding Jones’ status on the team.
“We’ve seen the emergence of players such as Isiah Pacheco and of course, they [the Chiefs] have Clyde Edwards-Helaire,” said Rapoport.
“[Jones] played pretty well last night [against the Packers] might that be enough to keep him on the roster? Stay tuned at a later date to see which way they end up.”
From @NFLNetwork: Players to watch as we get closer to Tuesday, taking a look at #49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo, #Chiefs RB Ronald Jones, and #Steelers QB Mason Rudolph (who has drawn trade interest). pic.twitter.com/hsyKqC8LRt
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 26, 2022
It’ll be interesting to see what the Chiefs end up doing with Jones. One would think he has some trade value, even if it’s small. Getting something back in return would be nice, but at the same time, Jones has yet to play an official down for the Chiefs. So it’s not a major pain if they end up missing out on the guaranteed $750k that was given to Jones back in March.