Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones has not participated in training camp for the Chiefs amid a contract holdout, and coach Andy Reid says the team hasn’t been in contact with the standout lineman.
Jones said Tuesday on social media that he’s willing to hold out until Week 8 if he’s unable to reach an agreement with Kansas City on a new deal.
Jones is seeking an extension in the neighborhood of $30 million in average annual value, sources told Sports Illustrated’s Greg Bishop. Jones, one of the best interior pass rushers in the NFL, is seeking Aaron Donald-type money in his next contract, and the Kansas City brass likely knew Jones would want a raise if he continued his stellar play. The Chiefs reconfigured their roster last offseason before the franchise’s latest Super Bowl title, with the Tyreek Hill trade standing out as the biggest move.
It was due, in part, to what the team believed it would have to pay some of its top remaining players on the roster. Bishop notes that executive Brett Veach’s drafting and cap management moves acknowledge the team’s belief in the importance of Jones, whom Bishop referred to as a “football unicorn.” Jones recorded 15 1/2 sacks to Donald’s five last season, and Donald is earning an average of $31.7 million annually with the Rams.
Jones has registered 65 sacks in seven NFL seasons and has been named to the Pro Bowl in each of the past four years.
The Chiefs “want to pay him, plan to pay him and should be expected to pay him,” before their regular-season opener against the Lions on Sept. 7, according to Bishop.
