The Kansas City Chiefs have been biding their time on a contract extension for DT Chris Jones.
With Tennessee Titans DT Jeffrey Simmons and New York Giants DT Dexter Lawrence receiving contract extensions this offseason, New York Jets DT Quinnen Williams is one of the final dominos left to fall in the interior defensive line market. A new report suggests that the former No. 3 overall pick in 2019 will be seeking more than his counterparts received this offseason.
Our friend Henry McKenna of Fox Sports reports that Williams is looking for an average per year between $25M-$30M on his upcoming contract extension. Williams is clearly skeptical that New York will pay him what he wants, given what has recently transpired on social media.
#Jets DT @QuinnenWilliams is seeking between $25M-$30M per year in his upcoming contract, per source. (More than Jeffery Simmons and less than Aaron Donald.)
"He loves the Jets. He just wants to get paid. Hopefully it doesn't get messy," the source said.
Story coming….
— Henry McKenna (@McKennAnalysis) May 15, 2023
So what does all of this have to do with the Chiefs and their situation with Chris Jones?
Chiefs GM Brett Veach provided an update on the situation during his post-draft press conference, saying that a long-term deal for Jones is on the list of things they want to get accomplished this spring. That could be difficult to accomplish given the climate surrounding Williams.
The Athletic reported back in March that Jones wanted a contract that made him at least the second-highest player at the position next to Rams DT Aaron Donald. He’s certainly deserving of that type of payday after a First-Team All-Pro year where he matched his career high of 15.5 sacks. However, a deal for Williams within the $25M-$30M range could push Jones’ contract much closer to Donald’s $31.6M average.
Jones might have lessened his leverage a bit with comments on social media this offseason, declaring that he wouldn’t ever play for another franchise. Either way, something will have to give in this situation. Kansas City will likely be the ones to bend, especially if a player like Williams lands a multi-year deal in the $25M-$30M per year range. Jones and his camp have every reason to want to wait for Williams to sign a new deal too.
