Getty Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones celebrates a playoff victory with fans.
After a long list of departures including Tyreek Hill, Charvarius Ward, Jarran Reed, Byron Pringle, Demarcus Robinson, Anthony Hitchens and most likely Tyrann Mathieu among others, it’s easy to feel a bit shell-shocked this offseason.
Having said that, the Kansas City Chiefs still have a tremendous core intact — something that other NFL franchises have been attempting to build for the better part of the past two decades.
It includes Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones, Orlando Brown Jr., and promising youngsters rising through the ranks like Creed Humphrey and Nick Bolton. Those sturdy pillars at integral positions should weather any potential storms of the future, and one just made a solemn vow to Chiefs Kingdom.
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Jones Scares Fans Before Widespread Sigh of Relief
In the midst of all this turnover, the Chiefs’ superstar game wrecker on the defensive side did what he does best — besides terrorizing opposing quarterbacks — connect with the fanbase.
On March 29, Jones sent out two tweets within two minutes of each other. The first read: “Love you KC.”
Love you KC.
This led to some immediate speculation from fans on whether or not the key defender was foreshadowing his departure. One wrote: “What is going on with the Chiefs? You better not be leaving as well. I’m not a happy Chiefs fan right now.”
Another chimed in: “Plz don’t make this mean you’re getting traded.” And one more even admitted: “The way this offseason has been for the Chiefs, Tweets like this can be nerve-racking.”
Moments later, Jones appeared to quickly recognize that he confused a large chunk of the fanbase and clarified: “I’m here for life.”
I’m here for life
Thanks, Chris, everyone in Chiefs Kingdom can breathe once again!
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Is There More to This Tweet Than Meets the Eye?
The initial assumption may have brought about a negative connotation but did this cryptic tweet from Jones actually have positive intentions?
According to Over the Cap, the pass-rushing D-lineman is under contract until the end of 2023, but there is a clear “out” after 2022. Let’s say the Chiefs cut Jones next offseason, they’d save $20 million worth of cap space in the process.
No one is saying that general manager Brett Veach should consider this. The point is that Jones’ current deal is nearing that territory of uncertainty that we just lived through with Hill, and a lot of that nervousness could be solved by a potential contract extension or restructuring. Both would allow Kansas City to lower the superstar’s $29.415 million cap-hit in 2022 while providing Jones with added security long-term. A win-win.
It would also vibe with the narrative that Jones is going to be “here for life.”
To clarify, a restructure would only increase the likelihood that Jones remains with the franchise through 2023 — honoring the terms of his original deal with more guaranteed money right now. An extension would obviously add more years and financials beyond that.
Of course, it’s possible Jones was merely trying to cheer up any fans that might be feeling down. This is the same guy that chugged a beer in the front row of Arrowhead Stadium after the Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bills in a wild postseason overtime thriller this January.
Jones is a crowd-pleaser — in more ways than one — and whatever happens with his contract in the future, Chiefs Kingdom is happy to have him in 2022.