With training camp rapidly approaching the clock is winding down for the Kansas City Chiefs to get an extension done with star DT Chris Jones.
Jones was a holdout during the team’s mandatory minicamp as he seeks a multiyear commitment from Kansas City. The eighth-year defensive tackle is in the final year of the four-year extension worth $80M signed back in July 2020. He is coming off a career year with 44 total tackles, 15.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, four passes batted and two forced fumbles in a Super Bowl-winning campaign.
The latest update on Jones’ contract situation comes from ESPN’s Jeff Darlington on “SportsCenter.” It echoes a lot of what we already know — including the timeline put forth by Brett Veach back in May.
“The Chiefs would like to give him that long-term extension,” Darlington said. “I’m told that they are still optimistic that this will get done — likely before training camp — for Chris Jones. And this is significant for a number of reasons, not just the contract itself. The Chiefs right now are just barely below the salary cap, one of the highest salary caps right now in the league. If they can do that deal with Jones, they can ultimately bring his number down.”
An extension for Jones could free quite a bit of salary cap space to give the Chiefs room to operate during the 2023 NFL season, but also some flexibility for some luxury signings. Recent reports from Darlington’s colleague Jeremy Fowler indicate that the team could use that money to insert themselves into the DeAndre Hopkins race.
The big update is that there have been no changes with just over 10 days to go until veterans report to Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri for training camp. That Saturday, July 22 report date is likely considered a soft deadline for the Chiefs and Jones, but one thing could throw a wrench in those plans.
New York Jets DT Quinnen Williams has yet to sign a contract extension. If he signs before Jones, it could complicate current contract conversations, depending on his annual numbers. We saw something like that happen a season ago with Tyreek Hill after the Davante Adams deal. Obviously, Kansas City will be motivated to get something done sooner than later, but Jones and his camp might be inclined to wait in order to get the best possible deal from the Chiefs. At the end of the day, however, we all know Jones’ desire is to remain in Kansas City for his entire career.
