There wasn’t much at stake in terms of playoff positioning when the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs met on the field on Sunday. But for several players on the field, there were still plenty of things to play for in Week 18—including a million-dollar bonus.
Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones entered the game with nine sacks on the season and would hit a bonus worth $1.25 million if he could secure his 10th against the Chargers.
Jones would have to wait quite a while before cashing in, but it was undoubtedly worth the wait. In the third quarter with the Chargers facing third-and-6 in the red zone, Jones broke through the line and was able to get a claw on Easton Stick, bringing him to the ground.
The eight-year veteran sprinted off in celebration, and the entirety of the Chiefs defense appeared to join him. Sure, it felt great to stop the opposition and hold them to a field goal try, but cashing that bonus was undoubtedly sweeter.
CHRIS JONES GETS HIS BONUS! The whole @Chiefs sideline was HYPED for him.
— NFL (@NFL) January 7, 2024
📺: #KCvsLAC on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/X0vcyHUoyR pic.twitter.com/lrapGgskaZ
As it turns out, the joy in Jones’s celebration can literally be measured. As NextGenStats noted, Jones’s sprint to the sidelines was close to as fast as he had moved through the entire game.
Chris Jones reached a top speed of 14.85 mph running to the sideline on his celebration, which would be his 2nd-fastest speed on any play today.@StoneColdJones | #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/z6nDOuZfFE
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) January 7, 2024
Nothing inspires a bit of hustle like a seven-figure bonus.
