The Chiefs have their most important defensive player back, four days after they lost their season opener.
According to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport on Monday, Chris Jones and Kansas City have reached an agreement on the details of a new one-year contract.
Later, the contract was disclosed by the team. Chief’s general manager Brett Veach said in a statement
“Chris is an elite player in this league, and over the last seven years, he’s really developed into a leader on our team,”
“He’s been instrumental to our success and Super Bowl championship runs and it was a priority for us to keep him in a Chiefs uniform. I’d like to thank Chris and his representation, Michael and Jason Katz, for their desire and patience to get this done. Through this process two things were obvious, Chris wanted to be a Chief, and the Katz brothers worked diligently on his behalf.”
Better late than never for Chiefs
The new contract won’t be for an extended period of time. Instead, it is a 12-month agreement. We can’t help but wonder what his salary would be or if Chris can be used by Chiefs as a franchise tag in 2024. The last year of his previous contract will be replaced with the new one. He has a $19.5 million salary due.
One game check worth $1.08 million had already been turned over, and he had accrued almost $2 million in non-waivable fines.
Whatever the cost, Jones has unquestionably shown his value. The four-time Pro Bowl selection has made a name for himself as one of the best at his position and a leader both on and off the pitch. He is coming off a first-team All-Pro season in which he tied his career high with 15.5 sacks and won two Super Bowls with Kansas City.
Fans can rest easy knowing Jones will be down on the field making an impact soon rather than watching from home or a suite, as he did while his Chiefs fell to 0-1 to start the year. It remains to be seen how quickly Jones is able to ramp up and what kind of snap count he might see in the upcoming Week 2 game against the Jaguars.
Whatever happens after 2023, Jones will remain with the Chiefs for the remainder of the year.
