Chris Jones message to Chiefs defense should serve as a warning for everyone else

The Kansas City Chiefs gathered inside the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art on Thursday night to receive their Super Bowl rings for the third time in the last five seasons.

Kansas City's 25-22 overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII is often credited to quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce — and maybe even Taylor Swift — but the championship was fueled by the Chiefs defense.

Kansas City's defense allowed the fewest second-half points (126) and the second-fewest points per game (17.3) in 2023. In the postseason, the defense tightened up and allowed just 15.7 points per game.

With the ring ceremony behind them, the Chiefs defense is now looking to replicate their performance in 2024.

Steve Spagnuolo sent a message to Chiefs defense about complacency

Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo — the only coach to win four Super Bowl championships as a defensive coordinator — was the mastermind behind Kansas City's defense. Over the years, his experiences have taught him how difficult it is to carry over success from previous seasons. Spagnuolo shared some of his wisdom with his defense as the Chiefs gathered for organized team activities.

Earlier this week, Chiefs defense tackle Chris Jones told reporters about Spagnuolo's message to the defense. The key takeaway? It's easy to get complacent. Spagnuolo used his experience with the New York Giants in 2017 as an example.

"Just how easy it is to get complacent," Jones said. "I think that was 2016-2017 New York Giants if I’m correct. He actually showed us the bulletin this morning on the board [and] how they were ranked second and went to [last]. Just the complacency level. It's so easy to get complacent."

In 2016, the Giants defense allowed just 17.8 points per game, the second-fewest in the NFL. The following season, Spagnuolo's unit dropped to the bottom of the rankings. The defense allowed 24.3 points per game, the fifth-most in the league.

Players can become relaxed and blinded by the glistening diamonds on their Super Bowl rings, but Spagnuolo's message resonated with Jones and he seems ready to root out any complacency.

“It’s so easy to get to, ‘We’ll fix it later,’” Jones said. “Especially when you come off such a high, so you want to always keep that pressure applied and making sure that you’re challenging each other at the highest level.”

Despite their optimism, the defense will have a tough time replicating last season’s performance. Although Kansas City managed to retain Jones, there were key departures on the defensive side of the ball.

The Chiefs traded cornerback L'Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans after his breakout season in 2023. While cornerbacks Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, and Joshua Williams still form a formidable trio, Sneed's shutdown campaign will be hard to match. Sneed didn't surrender a single touchdown as the nearest defender in coverage on 90 targets in 2023, per NFL Next Gen Stats. He allowed a league-low 27.7 completion percentage on passes that traveled 10 or more air yards.

Along with Sneed, the Chiefs defense also lost linebacker Willie Gay and safety Mike Edwards during the offseason. Jones will be 30 years old and defensive end Charles Omenihu is still recovering from a torn ACL, which could cause problems for Kansas City's pass rush.

Still, the unit should hold its own as long as it has a Hall of Fame defensive coordinator like Spagnuolo.