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The Kansas City Chiefs started up veteran practices at training camp on July 23 and of course, superstar defensive lineman Chris Jones was the major missing piece for KC.
It was first reported that Jones would be holding out from camp on July 22 — amid extension talks — and today fans saw what this defense might look like without the integral game-wrecker. “With no Jones in camp, Chiefs turning to Derrick Nnadi and Daniel Wise for initial top-team DT reps,” Arrowhead Pride’s Pete Sweeney relayed live from St. Joe’s.
Wise has 17 NFL appearances with zero sacks and one tackle for a loss. Yep, Jones’ price tag may have just gone up — if that’s even possible.
All jokes aside, the plan is still to get Jones locked up long-term. Without him, this is a very different defense and a very different team. Jones knows it, the fans know it, and the organization is probably well-aware too.
Needless to say, head coach Andy Reid and owner Clark Hunt were both asked about Jones’ holdout and any progress in contract talks on July 23.
Chiefs Not Rushing Chris Jones or Brett Veach as Camp Holdout Begins
Reid and Hunt’s thoughts on Jones were similar — and neither was willing to rush negotiations publicly.
“As far as Chris [Jones] goes, we’ll just see how things go here down the road,” Reid said on Sunday. “There had been communications, we’ll see where it goes from here and we’ll take it. If you’re not here, we just keep moving and that’s how we roll.”
The Chiefs HC did add that “we don’t worry a lot about that,” explaining: “We let it take care of itself and we got great people working on that, so I’m not worried about that.”
Hunt also deferred to those “great people” that Reid referenced, except he named general manager Brett Veach in his response.
“That’s something that Brett Veach and his staff really handle,” Hunt told reporters with a very diplomatic stance. “I’m not involved in that.”
Hunt didn’t exactly reprimand Jones for the missed time either.
“We love Chris and when he decides to report, we’ll welcome him,” Hunt voiced shortly after. “I don’t want to get into speculating on when that’ll happen or if it’ll happen.”
The overall stance from the Chiefs organization is pretty clear — we want Jones back in 2023 and we’re willing to wait on Veach and his agent to work out a deal that’s lucrative for all parties involved.
Chiefs Insider Says ‘Friction’ Revolves Around $30 Million Number
The Athletic’s Nate Taylor has been dialed in on Jones’ contract negotiations since the beginning and his latest report came on July 23.
“The friction between Jones and the Chiefs is that the team, led by club owner Clark Hunt and general manager Brett Veach, has yet to be willing to agree to an extension where the average salary is $30 million,” Taylor informed.
“The Chiefs have become the league’s newest dynasty despite not having a single member be the highest-paid player at their position,” he continued. “[Patrick] Mahomes, in his prime at 27, is the league’s reigning MVP and Super Bowl MVP. He is also the league’s seventh-highest-paid quarterback, according to Over The Cap. [Travis] Kelce, 33, is the second-highest-paid tight end.”
Taylor noted that Mahomes and Kelce both “knew their deal would in part benefit the Chiefs,” while Jones has yet to agree to a similar compromise. Remember, Tyreek Hill wasn’t willing to take less either and consequently, he was sent packing to Miami.
“We really don’t think about it in the context of — ‘Who is the highest-paid player?'” Hunt stated. “We think about it in the context of the Chiefs — and what’s best for the organization, not only this year, but as we go forward. One of the challenges is the salary cap. It makes it tough to keep a championship team together.”
As camp goes on, we should get a sense of whether or not the Jones deal will go the way of Mahomes and Kelce or Hill. As of now, the former appears more likely.
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Chiefs’ Andy Reid & Clark Hunt Comment on Chris Jones’ Holdout