KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Entering his second season of professional football, Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis said the game is starting to slow down.
“Just seeing and knowing what’s expected,” Karlaftis told KSHB 41 during an exclusive postgame interview. “ You know, I’ve played Jacksonville before. This offense, this quarterback. A lot of the [offensive] linemen."
The 2022 first-round pick collected 1 1/2 sacks in the Chiefs' sluggish 17-9 win over Jacksonville.
George Karlaftis compares Chris Jones to SHAQ after the #Chiefs first win of the season: "He brought him. He's a presence, he's dominant..." @KSHB41 pic.twitter.com/94rLDnCB4k
— Aaron Ladd (@aaronladdtv) September 17, 2023
“Having that knowledge and knowing what to expect ... not having as many unknowns," he said. "That's been the biggest thing going into year two."
Sunday, for the first time this season, Karlaftis knew star defensive tackle Chris Jones, who he compared to another standout sports star, would once again take the field for KC.
“He's like Shaq,” Karlaftis joked. “He brought him. He's a presence, he's dominant.”
Jones and Karlaftis tied for the team lead on the steamy afternoon (1 1/2 sacks) as Kansas City smothered Trevor Lawrence, limiting him to 216 total passing yards.
“When you get a guy like Chris in the game, he's going to disrupt,” Karlaftis said. “I think we do a really good job of playing off each other … him and really the whole [defensive] line.”
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