Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs stalled in contract talks
By Matt Conner
The Kansas City Chiefs and defensive lineman Chris Jones have reportedly made no forward advances in contract negotiations.
The latest reports coming out of sources from the Kansas City Chiefs indicate that zero progress has been made in terms of the team’s ability to reach a new contract extension with their star defensive lineman Chris Jones.
Both FanSided’s Matt Verderame (reported on July 13) and Yahoo! Sports Terez Paylor (reported on July 15) have word from their own source(s) that Jones and the Chiefs are stalled in talks. Per Verderame, it comes down to guaranteed money:
"Per sources with knowledge of the situation, the main hangup is guaranteed money. The Chiefs value Jones, but know they can hold his rights for three years at $42 million with this season and two franchise tags."
Jones has been the holdover defensive anchor in a top to bottom renovation that saw longtime pass rusher Justin Houston released to free agency and outside linebacker Dee Ford was traded to the San Francisco 49ers. Even Allen Bailey, who set a career high with 6 sacks, remains a free agent. Jones himself led the Chiefs (and ranked third in the NFL) with 15.5 sacks. The Chiefs tied for the league lead in sacks.
Jones has been on an incredible trajectory since entering the NFL as an impact lineman. Through three years in the NFL, he’s on the cusp of being a household name and a player mentioned alongside Aaron Donald as the best interior lineman in the league. Financially, he wants to be paid in that same category, but the Chiefs are apparently flinching at something within the numbers involved.
Given that the Chiefs have torn down the house all around Jones, it’s a bit surprising that there’s any sort of hesitation on either side. Both parties have known what it would take to get an extension done for some time, and both sides have also been vocal in their hopes to come back together for the long term. It simply makes no sense for the team to not match Jones’ demands and reward him for a job well done.
Next. The Chiefs need someone to step up at these 3 positions. dark
It will be interesting to see if this week also passes without any further news. Rookies and veterans will begin to report by late this week, which means the window for the Chiefs and Jones to get something done without missing further practices is closing soon.