As training camp opens, Chiefs point to brighter future in 2026

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Even a month ago, when the Kansas City Chiefs finished their mandatory minicamp, pass rusher Chris Jones acknowledged a reality that to him felt odd.

"It's been a while since I've had this long of a break with football," Jones said, referencing the Chiefs missing the playoffs last season for the first time since 2014.

Jones and the rest of the Chiefs have spent the past several weeks on another extended break, too, a hiatus that will be 42 days before training camp begins next week. When Jones rejoins his teammates on the practice fields on Missouri Western State's campus, he and some of the Chiefs' most prominent veterans have vowed to keep last season in their minds.