Getty Defensive tackle Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chicago Bears don’t just own the top pick in the NFL draft for the second year in a row, but are also looking at some of the most cap space in the league to add to a roster on the rise.
To that end, Alex Shapiro of NBC Sports Chicago on Tuesday, February 6, dubbed All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs as the first player on a list of Super Bowl participants whom the Bears are likely to target in free agency.
Jones proved once again that he’s one of the best defensive tackles in the game. Pairing him with Montez Sweat would not only boost the pass rush, but it would allow Gervon Dexter more time to develop and thrive as a second-wave lineman.
Jones racked up 10.5 sacks and 13 TFL in 2023, which earned him First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. He’s got a history of success in the Super Bowl, too. He batted three balls down at the line of scrimmage in the team’s 2020 victory over the [San Francisco] 49ers, made five tackles in their loss to the Bucs one year later and made three tackles in last year’s win. Jones also forced a fumble in the Chiefs’ AFC Championship win over the [Buffalo] Bills this year.
Chris Jones Perfect Fit for Bears Defense Under Matt Eberflus
GettyKansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones.
Courtney Cronin of ESPN wrote about Jones and why the Bears should take a serious run at him on January 7.
“The missing piece that can take the Bears’ defense from good to elite is a disruptive 3-technique defensive tackle,” Cronin wrote. “The Bears’ to-do list in free agency should include testing the market on Kansas City’s Chris Jones, Miami’s Christian Wilkins or Baltimore’s Justin Madubuike. The Bears solidified their edge rusher position with Montez Sweat during the season, and now they need to find a disruptive interior pass-rusher to complete the defense.”
Jones has been a first-team All-Pro selection in each of the last two seasons. He has earned first- or second-team All-Pro honors in five of the last six campaigns and has been a Pro Bowler in each of the previous five seasons.
Chris Jones Projected to Earn More Than $28 Million Annually Over New Deal
GettyDefensive tackle Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Given Jones’ sustained excellence, both during the regular season and the postseason, he won’t come cheap to Chicago.
Jones held out for one game to begin the 2023 campaign in search of a new deal from Kansas City. Ultimately, the team reworked his contract to pay the defensive tackle $19.5 million.
Spotrac projects that when Jones hits free agency in March, his market value will be approximately $28.4 million annually over a new three-year deal (approximately $84.5 million total).
While that is a great deal of money to give out, Jones will play next season at the age of 30 and has shown himself to be a reliable player over the course of his eight-year NFL career. Jones has missed just eight of a possible 131 regular-season games for the Chiefs over that span, including the opening contest of 2023, which Jones didn’t play due to his holdout.
As of Tuesday, Chicago had $49.13 million in estimated salary cap space for the 2024 season.