Aaron Donald helped set the market for defensive linemen across the NFL when he got a new three-year extension worth $95 million following the 2021 season. His annual salary of $31.7 million is by far the highest of any defensive player, with T.J. Watt being the next-closest at $28 million per year.
Chris Jones is following in the footsteps of Donald from a few years ago when the Rams defensive tackle held out in back-to-back seasons, even causing him to miss the first two games of the 2018 campaign before the Rams caved and gave him the extension he was seeking. Jones has threatened to miss the first eight games of this season if he and the Chiefs can’t agree on a long-term deal.
