Chiefs star defensive tackle Chris Jones has sat out mandatory minicamp as he pursues a new contract. Fortunately, it doesn’t sound like negotiations are acrimonious in any way. Speaking to reporters during the team’s Super Bowl ring ceremony, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach indicated that negotiations are going well and that everyone involved wants a deal to be completed.
[RELATED: Chris Jones Seeking To Become Second-Highest-Paid DT]
“We have great communication and there’s a lot of time before camp,” Veach said (h/t to Jordan Foote of SI.com). “[I] feel good about where we’re going to be with Chris. We’ll get to celebrate tonight and have a good time, break tomorrow, and I’m sure we’ll have great dialogue from now to the start of training camp and look forward to Chris being here not just for next year, but for a long time.”
The GM wouldn’t commit to a specific deadline for the two sides to agree to an extension. Rather, Veach expressed optimism that negotiations will follow the same path as some of the front office’s previous extension talks.
“Not really,” Veach said when asked if there was a specific timeframe. “Listen, we have a long history together and we have a great relationship with his agent. I mean, these things usually get worked out right before [or] right during the first start of camp so we anticipate the same, and we’ll see how it goes.”
Jones finished third for Defensive Player of the Year honors this past season after compiling 15.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, and 29 QB hits. At $20MM per year, Jones is currently the NFL’s eighth-highest-paid defensive tackle, and he’s set to hit free agency following the season. The Chiefs could ultimately just decide to hit him with the franchise tag, but that guaranteed top-five salary at the position still might not be enough for the veteran.
We heard earlier this week that Jones was seeking a contract that would make him the league’s second-highest-paid defensive tackle. Aaron Donald leads the way with a $31.7MM-per-year number, but there’s an $8MM gap in AAV before we get to Jeffery Simmons. Jones could still slide in second on the list without completely breaking the bank. While the organization has recently moved off players like Tyreek Hill before committing big money, it doesn’t sound like they’ll proceed with the same mentality when it comes to their defensive leader.
Once you pay a franchise quarterback you cannot afford a top defensive player, as the whole point of the salary cap is about ensuring parity. Thus only those teams with a nothing QB are going to be able to pay him the money he seeks.
Better hope that rookie QB that team has pans out.