Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes on Chris Jones: Focus on Winning with 'Guys That Are Here'

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes knows the players on the team can only control so much as defensive tackle Chris Jones continues his holdout with Thursday's season opener approaching.

"At this point, you kind of just prepare to play the game with the guys that are in the building and let the front office handle that," Mahomes said, per Kevin Patra of NFL.com. "We've got a tough test with the Detroit Lions, and we're going to focus on how we can win with the guys that are here."

Jones still hasn't reported to the Chiefs as he looks for a new contract. He is entering the final year of his current deal and is scheduled to make $19.5 million in base salary.

That the holdout has lasted this long may be surprising to some, but ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Monday on SportsCenter that the team has "been bracing, at least for the early part of the year, to be without Chris Jones because of this contract dispute."

This season is once again Super Bowl or bust for the Chiefs, so it will be more important that he is on the field come playoff time than in Thursday's opener.

In July, Nate Taylor of The Athletic reported the defensive tackle was looking for a deal worth at least $30 million per year. Yet NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday the two sides are "not close on a deal."

That means Mahomes and Co. may have to beat the Lions without their star defensive teammate.