Chris Jones is joining a select group of players to avoid his team’s mandatory minicamp. The Pro Bowl defensive tackle is not at the defending Super Bowl champions’ workout Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
The defensive tackle market has moved significantly since Jones signed his four-year, $80MM deal during the 2020 offseason. The former franchise tag recipient remains on the extension radar for the Chiefs, per Schefter, but he is staying away from the team for the time being. No guaranteed money remains on Jones’ contract. Skipping minicamp will cost Jones just less than $100K.
Aaron Donald leads all non-quarterbacks with a $31.7MM-per-year average, while D-tackles younger and less accomplished than Jones — Daron Payne, Dexter Lawrence and Jeffery Simmons — have agreed to terms on accords north of the eighth-year Chief’s $20MM-AAV pact. Serving as the Chiefs’ top pass rusher for most of his career, Jones has been linked to a third Chiefs contract this offseason. Ahead of his age-29 season, Kansas City’s D-line anchor will likely aim for a deal in the Donald range.
Three years ago, the Chiefs agreed to team-friendly deals with Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce and fit a top-market Jones extension into their offseason. The above-referenced accords, along with the Giants’ 2021 deal for Leonard Williams and recent 49ers agreement with Javon Hargrave, now eclipse Jones’ pact. Considering Jones’ current form and importance to the Chiefs, he certainly has a case to approach Donald’s terms or land a more traditional contract well north of the Simmons-Payne-Lawrence range.
The Chiefs’ single-season sack record holder, Jones earned his initial first-team All-Pro honor last season by matching his career high (15.5 sacks). He added two more in the playoffs to help the Chiefs to another title. Twice a second-team All-Pro as well, Jones has spearheaded a Chiefs defense that could not rely on Frank Clark for consistency. The Chiefs have since moved on from Clark, leaving 2022 first-rounders George Karlaftis and Felix Anudike-Uzomah and UFA addition Charles Omenihu in charge of edge production. Jones has masked the Chiefs’ issues on the edge for years, becoming one of this era’s best interior pass rushers.
The 2020 CBA has effectively curbed training camp holdouts, limiting contract-seeking players’ options. This has made the hold-in tactic increasingly popular. Absent a deal by the time the Chiefs report to training camp, Jones taking this route would not surprise. Withholding his services would damage a Chiefs team that has depended on him for most of his career.
A Jones extension would also help the Chiefs, who have him tied to a $28.3MM cap number in 2023. Kansas City is also potentially looking at a tricky Mahomes restructure, though the quarterback has been careful not to make a public demand for his unique deal to be redone. With Mahomes signed through 2031, the Jones matter looks to be the Chiefs’ most pressing contract issue.
Chris Jones is not the single season sack record holder for the chiefs. I believe that would be Justin Houston for 22.0 sacks in the 2014 season.
…not to mention Derrick Thomas’ 20-sack season in 1990.
* No other Chief with the first name Chris has had more sacks in a single season than CHRIS Jones. Fixed it.
Was Mahomes’ deal “team-friendly” when he signed it? It looks pretty good now, but I’m not sure it was team-friendly at the time as it made him the highest paid player in the league.
A GM would probably look foolish claiming a deal that resulted in league championships wasn’t “team friendly”.
It was team-friendly in the sense that the GM Brett Veach saw where both the salary cap and the market were going.
I believe Mahomes got that deal a year early, and the thinking was that there were some other big QB deals and re-signings due up in the coming year.
Also, the salary cap was due to quickly raise the following 2 or 3 years because of league economics during covid and standard inflation.
The snowball inflation we’ve had over the last 2 years has only made the deal look even smarter.
Just ask the Cardinals, Raven, and eventually the Bengals.
The Chiefs can’t keep everyone. There’s two good options here. Trade Chris Jones and his existing contract away for a first round draft pick now or let him leave at the end of next season for the third round draft pick.
Non-exclusive franchise tag (the one where the losing team gets two first round draft pick but pays average of top ten salaries instead of top five) could add another year before the third round draft pick.
Fans of division rivals want them to use the third option and blow everything up like the Rams did after winning a title.
That would be precipitous. Still the Chiefs have to plan for the future which means losing some high priced veterans and well-loved players. As a champion, most Chiefs’ stars shine brighter on the free agent market than their innate talent. There are good deals to be made by a capable GM overselling their vets. Bill Belichick ran a fine business in Foxborough hawking mediocre talent for middle round draft picks. Pity Belichick isn’t much of a draft genius – the dynasty could have rolled on without a hiccup.