Chris Jones’ contract update isn’t good news, but shouldn’t be too worrying for Chiefs fans

We’ve know for a while that Kansas City Chiefs superstar defensive tackle Chris Jones, who is in the final year of his four-year, $80 million contract, is desperate for a new contract this offseason.

A key piece for the Chiefs since being drafted in 2016, Jones posted career highs of 15.5 sacks and 29 quarterback hits in 2022 and was one of the best players in the entire league.

But after it emerged the 29-year-old did not report to training camp last weekend, it feels this may turn into a situation which could unravel before the season starts for the reigning Super Bowl champions.

What could a new deal look like?

It’s been a busy few months for defensive tackles getting paid. After new deals for positional peers including Quinnen Williams, Jeffrey Simmons and Daron Payne this offseason, Jones (arguably the best player of the bunch) is desperate to get his own, deserved, pay-day.

The player who stands atop the rest is Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams. In terms of annual salary, Donald makes a huge $31 million+ per year on his current three-year deal with the Rams. Williams’ new contact means he’ll earn around $24 million annually, but given his production, Jones will be expecting something nearer to Donald’s deal than anything.

Jones expressed his desire to play his entire career in Kansas City. The team is fairly healthy against the salary cap so could afford to pay him the big bucks.

But with the Chiefs having to manage other contractual offers and renewals, including a potential re-working of Patrick Mahomes’ contract, things may not be so straight-forward.

This is the first time in Jones’ eight-year career that he didn’t report to training camp on time, and having also missed the team’s mandatory minicamp last month, the 4x Pro-Bowler isn’t messing around. Yes, we know from reports that the two are ‘far apart’ on an agreement. But this holdout should accelerate negotiations between the player and the team, it’s in the best interest for all parties to get a deal sorted soon.

Jones may be approaching 30, but he certainly has a few good or great seasons left in him. What’s he going to get? I’m sure the Chiefs will have no problem in rewarding their star defensive player, with a big-money, long-term extension in the coming weeks.