The Kansas City Chiefs cannot afford to step backward in their current competitive window. What three players should they extend as soon as possible?
The Kansas City Chiefs have shifted away from signing free agents and towards the 2023 NFL Draft. With less than a month until NFL fans descend upon Kansas City, the host team wants to nail the event and set themselves up for the 2023 season and beyond. But the Kansas City Chiefs are not a team that should rely on their rookie talent alone. That right is reserved for teams at the top of each round or those without a clear path to success. The Chiefs are defending Super Bowl champions for many reasons, and one is their returning players. Returning players bring a level of experience and chemistry that is hard to replicate, which gives the Chiefs an advantage over many teams in the league.
Sure, every NFL fan knows who quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce are. They are among the league’s biggest stars, on and off the field. They are leaders among their peers on the field. They are two big parts of any success the Chiefs will achieve in the 2023 season. But they are just two members of a 53-man roster. The other 51 are a mixed bag, with varying paths to Kansas City, different levels of importance, and unique long-term outlooks with the Chiefs. Some of them might be starters, while others might be backups or special teams players. However, each member of the roster plays a crucial role in the team’s success and contributes to achieving their goals.
Players like center Creed Humphrey and linebacker Nick Bolton will be top extension candidates when their time comes. Now, though, a select few players should remain Chiefs for a long time. Who are these players, and why should general manager Brett Veach prioritize them in the extension negotiation process?
Defensive tackle Chris Jones
What to do with defensive tackle Chris Jones will be a major Chiefs storyline this offseason. The best course of action for all parties involved is to extend his time in a Chiefs uniform, possibly for the rest of his career.
Jones is candid about his desire to stay in Kanas City, for what that is worth. In March, he tweeted, “I’m a Chief for life. I will not play for another franchise”, responding to fans calling his Kansas City future into question. 2023 is the final year of Jones’ four-year, $80 million contract, which he signed back in July 2020. The defensive tackle market has changed significantly since that deal, and Jones has a great case to be the league’s top-paid defensive tackle. Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne and Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons signed recent extensions, only increasing Jones’ pending extension’s value. Jones is set to earn $19.5 million in base salary with no guaranteed money left on his current deal, carrying a $28.3 million salary cap hit in 2023.
An extension would be a win for both parties, but especially for Kansas City. The team has some roster work to do after the draft, and they need cap space to do so. If the team wants to acquire veterans or free agents to bolster the roster, extending Jones will open some cap space in the 2023 season. But Jones’ extortion will likely be the last and biggest payday of his career. Simmons’ deal pays him $23.5 million annually, well below Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald’s $31.7 million annually. Jones is unquestionably a top-two defensive tackle in the league and deserves to be paid as such. While Veach may not splurge to the levels of Donald’s contract, Jones has earned a pay raise ahead of the 2023 season.
Cornerback L’Jarius Sneed
After establishing himself as the Chiefs’ top defensive back, cornerback L’Jarius Sneed is key to the defense’s future. He just completed his third professional season, and Kansas City should be clamoring to keep him for much longer.
Sneed is not as flashy as other cornerbacks in the league, but that is not what defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo needs from him. In 2022, he led all NFL cornerbacks with 15 quarterback hurries, four sacks, and 101 combined tackles. He may not have been a lockdown coverage cornerback last season, but that jack-of-all-trades quality is not easy to come by in a cornerback. Spagnuolo expected that out of veteran safety Tyrann Matthieu during his time in Kansas City. After Matthieu left for free agency, Sneed performed his job at the same level or even more effectively.
Cornerback is a hard position to fill via free agency. That is why the Chiefs have focused plenty of draft resources on the cornerback room. but having multiple rooks start multiple games would have gone south for the Chiefs without Sneed. He is the glue in Kansas City’s defensive backfield. Sneed will likely command a sizeable contract on the open market, and that is not a contract the Chiefs will likely be able to afford. Sneed shouldn’t be handed a blank check, but Veach has to realize Sneed’s value to this team.
Linebacker Willie Gay Jr.
Chiefs fans may not want to admit it, but the Kansas City defense works much better with linebacker Willie Gay Jr. on the field. If Veach wants a long-lasting linebacker duo, locking up Gay is the first step.
2022 was a career year for Gay in many aspects. He logged career highs in sacks, tackles, pressures, and more. He improved significantly in coverage, only allowing one touchdown all season despite being targeted 54 times. Fans complain about linebacker Nick Bolton’s lackluster coverage skills, but that is why Gay is so important. Bolton is the thumping, stout linebacker, while Gay has sideline-to-sideline speed and uber athleticism. That raw speed flashed plenty during the 2022 season, and he made some key plays. Spagnuolo deployed Gay as a great blitzer on the weak side, giving opposing offensive lines another wrinkle to worry about in 2022.
Gay might not be as important to the Chiefs’ defense as Jones or Sneed, but he is a key player nonetheless. He has shown great potential in his previous seasons with the Chiefs and his growth under Spagnuolo’s guidance will be crucial for the team’s success. With his legal issues behind him, Gay can now focus on further improving his skills and securing a promising future with the Chiefs.