The Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl for the second year in a row last week. It was also their third championship since making Patrick Mahomes their full-time starter in 2018. They are approaching dynasty territory at this point.
One player who was there for it all was defensive tackle Chris Jones, a former second-round pick 2016, who turned into the best player on their defense. He was there for all three Super Bowls won in the Mahomes era.
Jones is a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro. Right now, he is on a trajectory that would get him into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The 2024 season is going to be Jones’ age-30 season. He also doesn’t know what team he is going to be playing for right now. The Chiefs picked up his option, but that does not come with an extension. It does give them a chance to franchise tag him, though, with the window opening Tuesday.
If they do make that decision, Jones is going to get a lot of money with it. It would be a $32.16 million tag. That is a lot of money against the cap for one defensive player. If Kasnas City ends up tagging Jones, he’d be getting a lot of money and become a free agent in 2025, if the two sides can’t come to a long-term agreement by mid-July. The Chiefs would like to get him extended before that ends up happening.
Kansas City played a similar game with wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who they later traded to the Miami Dolphins. Since then, the Chiefs have won the Super Bowl twice. They believe that they can let guys go if needed and find ways to replace them. It may be harder with a defensive player, but they have done a good job filling in the cracks as the years go on.
If nothing gets done with him in Kansas City, the Chicago Bears should be all in on Jones. Whether it is trading for him or signing him, the defense would take another step forward if they added a stud like him.
Chicago has a lot of salary cap space right now — $67 million — so they can afford a guy like Jones, who’s a game-breaking type of player who has proven it time and time again. With what the Bears have already built on the defensive side of the ball, he’d be a great complement.
Guys like Julius Peppers and Khalil Mack are defensive players who came to the Bears in the middle of their prime and succeded. Jones would be put in a good spot if he came to Chicago. If they could ever get the quarterback position right, it would truly be a great place to play.
If Jones truly became available, tons of teams would come calling for him during free agency. He is one of the best defensive players in the NFL, year in and year out. General manager Ryan Poles is not afraid to go after guys like him, especially with Kansas City ties.
