Following a season in which he ranked as the league’s top interior defensive lineman, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Chris Jones has been seeking a new, top contract from the Chiefs. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Jones “did not report with the rest of the team to training camp” today as “the two sides remain ‘far apart’ on a new deal.” 
A former second-round pick out of Mississippi State, Jones set himself up beautifully coming out of his rookie deal by delivering two strong seasons in 2018 and 2019. Kansas City resorted to a franchise tag before eventually agreeing to extend Jones on a four-year, $80MM contract. Once again, the Chiefs began exploring the option of an extension early in the offseason this year. Jones hasn’t made it any easier for the team as, once again, he’s delivered one of the best performances of his career the season before a contract year.
In the years since Jones’s second contract, the defensive tackle market has markedly improved. In anticipation of an eventual negotiation, Jones skipped the team’s mandatory minicamp, costing himself approximately $100K in fines. At that point, it became clear that Jones was willing to pay to make his point, but a hold-out of training camp still seemed a long way away, considering the options limited by the 2020 CBA. The most drastic measure expected at the time was a potential hold-in, wherein Jones would attend training camp but not participate to his full ability.
Jones’s expectations weren’t unrealistic. Despite being ranked as the best, he wasn’t necessarily seeking to out-earn Rams star defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Donald’s contract is leaps and bounds ahead of the next-closest competition, so Jones sought to, at least, become the league’s second highest-paid defensive tackle. An interview with general manager Brett Veach made it sound like conversations were going well, indicating that things would likely get done “right before (or) right during the first start of camp,” a sentiment echoed by ESPN’s Jeff Darlington who thought it “likely” that the two sides would reach an agreement before camp.
Apparently, Jones agrees with the “start of camp” as a time to get things done. Holding out of training camp shows just how serious Jones is about not playing out the last year of his contract. According to Field Yates of ESPN, each day that Jones misses will leave him subject to almost $50K of fines.
Perhaps, if the Chiefs and Jones were closer in their negotiations, Jones wouldn’t be taking such drastic measures, but a camp hold-out truly emphasizes how far apart the two sides are. If Jones is going to incur daily fines, he’s going to expect a deal that makes those fines inconsequential.
Well, all of the other top DTs not named Aaron Donald have signed and set the market. Quinnen Williams got 4/$96M with $66M guaranteed. Donald’s on a 3/$95M contract, so I’m guessing Jones is looking to split the difference with something like 4/$110M with $75M+ guaranteed.
Why? Isn’t he under contract? He was happy with it when he signed it. Make him play it out.
That would be fine if there were guaranteed contracts in the NFL. This is the system that has been established. If the team wants to cut you before the end of the contract they will, and if a player wants more money before the end of the contract they will hold out. Guaranteed contracts would solve this problem. MLB players don’t hold out.
While NBA players with guaranteed contracts just “sulk” while demanding to be traded elsewhere.
Also a result of their salary cap. Players don’t earn what a team is willing to pay, they earn a max contract that teams are allowed to pay. The same thing they can get from every team. So they demand a trade to get to a better situation because they can’t possibly earn more money. If guaranteed contracts lead to trade demands and not salary caps and max contracts,then why don’t we see MLB players demanding trades?
DL is a position that sucks the greatest amount of payroll from a team besides QB and the statistics acquired should be ‘unit’ based.
Jones benefits by others taking double teams. His value isn’t in that range he’s requesting
It is also a problem when the QB and the DL both want top at their position pay rates. You can’t pay Mahomes $50 million per season and have the top anything else really.
Fortunately, Mahomes is not the highest paid quarterback, and Chris Jones is not asking to be the highest paid defensive lineman. So kind of a moot point really, right?
Only if you mean to take the point literally and intentionally ignore the real point which is actually obvious. When a QB makes as much as Mahomes it becomes harder and harder to surround him with talent and keep other players happy. The fact that they are the second or third highest paid at their positions and not the first is not the point, but thanks for that important correction.
phenomenalajs… “set the market” LMAO… That’s funny. Except “set the market” is only a negotiating tool, not a factual situation. If that were true. 15, Mahomes would atill be the highest paid QB in the league. Kelce, would be the highest paid TE in the NFL. GREED AND EGO, are what plagues sports. Chris Jonesis no better at DE than Tyreek Hill was at WR. We already proved that we can win a Super Bowl without OVER PAYING position players… If Chris Jones doesn’t want to play for GREAT MONEY and allow the team to still afford to pay others, then TRADE.HIS.ASS… We can piece together a DL to make up for him this year and he should bring a HAUL in return… HE, will not be the reason ANY team wins a Super Bowl, He could be one of many contributors at best. If $$$ is all he wants and NOT rings…Then he can get to steppin’ !!!
Larkraxm… NFL Contracts can be negotiated to include guaranteed money…
…ask Lamar Jackson if that is going to happen. I don’t care if they are or aren’t. I only take issue when people say players should play out their deal without asking for more money when teams can cut them before the end of the deal and not pay out the remainder of the “contract”. Watson’s guaranteed contract is a shame. It was given by the worst franchise to the worst human and when it proves to be a disaster others will use as a reason to not guarantee a contract to anyone.