Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones is set to enter the 2023 season in the final year of his four-year, $80 million contract he signed back in the 2020 offseason, and he’s made it clear how important securing his next deal is with his actions. He skipped the defending Super Bowl champion’s mandatory minicamp this offseason, and on Saturday, he didn’t report to the Chiefs’ start of training camp, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport. Jones could be fined up to $50,000 by Kansas City for each day that he misses at training camp. That may not deter Jones since he and the team are “far apart” on the terms for a new deal, according to ESPN.
His current contract’s average-per-year value of $20 million currently ranks as the ninth-highest among defensive tackles after extensions were signed this offseason by Quinnen Williams of the Jets (four years, $96 million), Jeffery Simmons of the Titans (four years, $94 million), Daron Payne of the Commanders (four years, $90 million), Dexter Lawrence of the Giants (four years, $90 million), and Javon Hargrave of the 49ers (four years, $84 million). Earlier this offseason, the four-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion declared he’s coming for his first Defensive Player of the Year award, definitively stating he’s going to be the NFL’s top defender in 2023.
Jones, 29, finished third in DPOY voting last season behind San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa, who led the NFL in sacks with 18.5 and co-led the league in quarterback pressures with 90, and Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons, who also co-led the league in quarterback pressures with 90. Jones tied his career high in sacks with 15.5, the fourth most in the league, while ranking fifth in quarterback pressures with 77 last season.
In terms of what the type of deal Jones could be looking for, three-time DPOY winner and Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald’s three-year, $95 million contract tops the interior defensive line market in both total value and average per year. Tennessee Titans Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons‘ four-year, $94 million deal ranks second in both categories. Kansas City currently ranks last in the NFL in cap space available for 2023 ($409,942), according to OverTheCap.com, but the Chiefs are projected to have $51.2 million in cap room available in the 2024 offseason, the 12th most in the entire league. General manager Brett Veach could get creative with the structure of a potential Jones deal to make it work for their cap going forward, something he said he believes will eventually get done.
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Author: Garrett Podell
July 22, 2023 | 6:31 pm
