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Ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs‘ (8-3) Sunday Night Football matchup against The Green Bay Packers (5-6), superstar Chris Jones discussed his future with the team.
During an appearance on “Gets It” with NBC Sports’ Michael Smith, the veteran defensive tackle expressed a desire to remain with the Chiefs, but said the final decision is out of his hands.
Entering the final year of the $80 million contract, Jones refused to report to training camp without an upgraded deal. After holding out the entire offseason and the season opener, Jones agreed to sign a one-year, $19.5 million contract with the Chiefs. Laden with incentives, the deal is worth up to $25 million, per NFL.com’s Kevin Patra.
“I never really take it personal, man,” Jones told Smith of contract talks. “The business is the business aspect of it, man. It’s a tough business. It’s a cutthroat business and you can’t get too involved with your feelings about it. If we’re speaking truthfully, this could be my last year with the Chiefs.”
“Am I gonna hate the Chiefs for it? Am I going to down the Chiefs for it? No, I understand the business of it, you know what I mean? So I can respect the reality of things, so I never put my feelings in the business part of it.”
When asked if the reality of this possibly being his final season with the Chiefs is at the forefront of his mind, “It ain’t,” Jones said.
“Hypothetically speaking, if this is my last year, I’ve given this organization everything I have. I’ve exhausted everything,” the First-Team All-Pro said. “So if this is my last year, I’m super thankful. Hopefully, it’s not. But if it is, I’m super grateful for the Chiefs organization, and I’ve poured everything into this.”
Chiefs DT Chris Jones Remains Focused on the Present
While job instability can wreak havoc on a player’s mind, Jones, who’s played for the Chiefs his entire career, is not stressing about the future.
“I don’t even think about it because when you start thinking about things, trying to plan, nothing really goes as planned, right?” Jones said of entering free agency. “It’s always a curveball, it’s always something that comes up and it’s like, ‘Ah, well, I had this planned out but ..’ So, I don’t think about it. After the season, we’ll evaluate, see where we’re at and hopefully it’s still with the Chiefs.”
Jones, who’s tallied 7.5 sacks and 24 total tackles this season, remains a key part in the Chiefs’ defense. While Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Co. have struggled hard this season, Kansas City’s defense has kept the team in the win column.
The Chiefs’ former second-round pick from the 2016 NFL draft, who’s led the team in sacks over the past four years, will earn major bonuses if he keeps playing at a high level. Patra reported that Jones gets an extra $1.25 million if he reaches 10 sacks, and another $1 million if Kansas City makes it to the Super Bowl, among other incentives.
Last season, Jones recorded 15.5 sacks. If he does that again this season, the four-time Pro Bowler will get an additional $500,000.
The Chiefs Included a ‘Notable’ Caveat in Chris Jones’ Contract
In a perfect world, Jone would remain in Kansas City. The 29-year-old’s preference is to stay with the Chiefs and based on the veteran’s new deal, the feeling seems to be mutual.
Patra wrote, “A notable aspect of the pact is that Kansas City retained the ability to franchise tag Jones in 2024, ensuring leverage over the star defensive tackle and potentially keeping him off the open market. The tag number would be about $32.4 million in 2024, NFL Network’s James Palmer reported (a 120% increase on his 2023 cap number).”
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