Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid admitted that he had no clue if Chris Jones would be in attendance at the start of 2023 training camp.
Now, on July 22, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and The Athletic’s Nate Taylor have both confirmed that the superstar defensive lineman will indeed be holding out as veterans report in KC. “Chiefs’ All-Pro DT Chris Jones, who has been seeking a new deal this off-season, did not report with the rest of the team to training camp today, per source,” Schefter initially tweeted. “The two sides remain ‘far apart’ on a new deal for the Defensive Players of the Year finalist.”
Although Jones has not spoken publicly on this decision, he did share a message on social media as the news broke around the NFL community. Arrowhead Report’s Zack Eisen reposted the Instagram story on Twitter, which displayed a simple eight-word quote: “Take a deep breath, and enjoy your life.”
Message from Chris Jones:
Details Behind Chris Jones’ Decision to Holdout at Start of Chiefs Training Camp
ESPN’s KC correspondent Adam Teicher followed up on the Schefter report on July 22.
“Jones has one year left on the four-year, $80 million contract that he signed in 2020, which made him the ninth-highest-paid defensive tackle in the league in terms of average salary,” Teicher stated after reiterating his colleague’s tweet. “He is subject to a daily fine of $50,000 for his absence, according to the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the players’ association.”
Taylor provided some additional information as well, via The Athletic.
“This is the first time in Jones’ eight-year career that he didn’t report to training camp on time,” the beat reporter noted. “He also missed the team’s mandatory minicamp last month.”
“Jones was a key piece of Kansas City’s Super Bowl LVII run. He posted career highs of 15.5 sacks and 29 quarterback hits in 2022,” he added.
While Taylor didn’t seem all that concerned that Jones and the Chiefs would eventually come to an agreement, he did mention that the more time he misses, the less ready and fit he may be for NFL game weeks. According to The Athletic, the team leader has “spent this summer training in Miami with Pete Bommarito, his longtime trainer.”
At the end of the day, Taylor’s analysis read as follows:
“Earlier this offseason, Jones expressed his desire to play his entire career with the Chiefs. This time, such an extension could be a three- or four-year deal, according to multiple league sources.”
Continuing: “Throughout this offseason, Jones, according to a league source, has said he wants an extension that will make him at least the second-highest-paid player at his position. Jones’ holdout should accelerate negotiations between both parties.”
The Chiefs begin veteran practices on Sunday, July 23, but padded work won’t begin for another week or so.
Chiefs Insider Suggests Potential Contract Number for Chris Jones’ Extension
As for the potential cost of a Jones extension, KSHB41’s Nick Jacobs had a number in mind.
The number I’ve had in my head for #Chiefs DT Chris Jones has been:
4-years / $112M
APY: $28M
Fully Guaranteed: $56M
Total Guarantees: $70M
It puts distance between him and the other DTs. Gives him more than Donald in guarantees. And a good APY other tackles can push for.
“4-years / $112M,” Jacobs shared on Twitter. “APY: $28M. Fully Guaranteed: $56M. Total Guarantees: $70M.”
This projection follows the recent trend of defensive tackle extensions like Jeffery Simmons and Quinnen Williams among others, but it also “puts distance between him and the other DTs.”
“Gives him more than [Aaron] Donald in guarantees. And a good APY other tackles can push for,” Jacobs concluded.
This extension would reset the defensive tackle market in terms of guaranteed money, but line up second behind Donald in APY. Both of these outcomes are expected for Jones, it just comes down to ironing out the fine print on the deal.
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Chiefs’ Chris Jones Shares 8-Word Message Amid Holdout Reports