ue to the disappointing conclusion of the 2023 Detroit Lions season, fans missed what would have been a rematch of their Week 1 showdown against the defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. The initial encounter, which saw the Lions secure a narrow 21-20 victory at Arrowhead Stadium on September 7, promised an exciting follow-up. As the Chiefs continue preparing to defend their title against the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday, several players have expressed their surprise at the Lions’ failure to progress further in the playoffs.
Michigan-connected Kansas City Chiefs players stunned by the Detroit Lions exit from the postseason
Chiefs defensive back Nic Jones revealed that during halftime of the NFC Championship game, friends were reaching out to him about what seemed to be a looming showdown between the Chiefs and the 49ers.
“The whole city, they called me,” said Jones, who hails from Detroit and also played high school football in Southfield. “At halftime. They’re calling me like, ‘Congratulations, I know you’re one of ours but you got to see us.’ And I was like, ‘Come on, man., there’s 30 minutes left.’”
“I’ve been a Lions fan for 15 years and I’m really a hater because I can’t believe they got good the one year I don’t like them no more,” he said. “I remember watching, going to Lions games in ’08, watching (Adrian Peterson) tear them (up). My first ever Lions game, it was a home game, my granddad took me and my big brother to, so to see them do this now that I’m no longer a fan after all those years of heartbreak, I kind of wanted them to lose. But then I started rooting for them like, ‘Come on then, do it then, Lions.’ It was unfortunate, but I think they got a good thing going over there. I don’t doubt that they’ll make it back.”
“I feel really good for the city just seeing how happy (they were),” Jones said. “It made me feel good to see them win this year. Man, I loved it, honestly. My mom was like, ‘You want to throw me some tickets to go to a Lions game?’ I’m like, ‘No.’”
