Chris Jones Contract Extension Still On Hold, Doesn’t Report To Chiefs Camp

The Chiefs and their star defensive lineman Chris Jones seem to be at a crossroads following offseason discussions about a long-term agreement for Jones.

On Saturday, veterans were supposed to report to the Chiefs’ camp. Chris Jones, a defensive tackle, was noticeably absent. Although he wants a new deal, his conflict with the team is nothing new.

In reality, Jones and the defending Super Bowl champions have been at odds over contracts three times in the last five seasons.

The contract problems involving Jones and how his current contract compares to others for players in his position.

Jones has a $20 million AAV (average annual value), which places him as the seventh highest-paid interior defensive lineman in the NFL.

Jones’ contract does not, however, contain any remaining guaranteed compensation. He signed a four-year, $80 million contract at the start of training camp in 2020, and is currently in the last year of it.

With lucrative contracts signed this offseason, several well-known players at the position, such Quinnen Williams, Jeffrey Simmons, Daron Payne, and Dexter Lawrence, have completely changed the market.

Jones, who is 29 years old, wants to make another profit while his worth is still high.

Chris Jones’s contract dispute history

2019

When Steve Spagnuolo was first brought in as the team’s defensive coordinator, one of his first actions was to transfer Jones from defensive end to defensive tackle.

According to Jeffri Chadiha of NFL.com, Jones’ positional adjustment also resulted in a decline in value on the open market, which was at the center of their discussions.

In order to master Spagnuolo’s system, Jones attended training camp after skipping offseason workouts. He chose to play out the last year of his rookie deal in the hopes of obtaining a significant extension the following offseason because he wanted to be paid like a top pass rusher. It was not that simple to get the new contract.

2020

After winning the Super Bowl, Jones seemed to be in line for a large paycheck. He had established himself as a crucial member of the Kansas City defense and contributed many enormous pass deflections to the Chiefs’ Super Bowl 54 triumph against the 49ers.

The Chiefs used the dreaded franchise tag to No. 95 rather than extending his contract.

Unhappy with that reality, Jones posted a proposition on Twitter. If the parties couldn’t come to an agreement on an extension, he implied he wouldn’t play.

2023

In 2023, Jones will retain a salary cap charge of just over $28 million thanks to his previous four-year, $80 million contract, which has one year left to run.

This information was released shortly after defensive lineman Quinnen Williams and the New York Jets signed a four-year, $96 million contract on July 13 with $66 million guaranteed, capping off a recent trend of defensive tackle contracts. This summer, fellow defensive tackles Javon Hargrave, Dexter Lawrence, Daron Payne, and Jeffery Simmons all reached agreements on four-year contracts totaling more over $80 million.

Is it conceivable that Jones will play out 2023 and 2024 before becoming a free agent in 2025? Most likely not. It also doesn’t seem plausible that the Chiefs would let Jones depart after that for nothing more than a change to the compensatory pick calculation. However, both sides will need to keep their options open as training camp goes on and the inquiries mount.

Jones, who is 29 years old, will be seeking long-term, guaranteed security in his position as at the very least the second-highest-paid interior defensive lineman in football.

 

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