Chiefs news: Chris Jones says Patrick Mahomes helped in contract negotiations

Chris Jones told reporters that Patrick Mahomes was a help in his negotiations with the Chiefs.

As the Kansas City Chiefs took care of recent negotiations with defensive tackle Chris Jones on a new big-money contract extension, the team’s star defender says that his quarterback ended up helping quite a bit.

When speaking with reporters on Monday, Jones answered questions and offered details about the new four-year contract given to him by the Chiefs just last week. Worth up to $80 million, Jones’ contract was made possibly partly by Patrick Mahomes’ own deal, which was signed the week before.

Mahomes received an extension even more lucrative than what Jones received. In fact, it was the single largest contract in American sports history—a ten year, $503 million deal that will keep Mahomes in K.C. for the next 12 total years. Despite the scope and size of the deal, Mahomes “left some on the table” in the form of much lower cap hits in the next few years, offering general manager Brett Veach the sort of wiggle room needed to keep Jones in the fold.

Jones is an essential piece along the defensive front. Together with cornerstone end Frank Clark, who is also paid an average of $20-plus million each year, Jones offers the Chiefs a nearly indefensible tandem up front and the pair helped re-establish a defense that won a Super Bowl just last season. Both Clark and Jones are scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency in 2024, the year that Jones will turn 30 years old.

In his first four years in the league, Jones has 72 quarterback hits, 33 career sacks, 20 forced fumbles, and 2 interceptions, all with the Chiefs. He made his first Pro Bowl last season.