The Kansas City Chiefs are reportedly confident that they will be able to sign All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones to a new contract in the near future. According to ESPN NFL insider Jeff Darlington, the Chiefs are optimistic that a long-term extension with Jones will be completed, likely before training camp.
Jones is currently set to enter the final year of his four-year, $80 million contract extension that he signed in 2020. He is scheduled to make over $20 million this season, with a cap hit exceeding $28 million. The Chiefs have limited salary cap space, with OverTheCap.com listing them as having the lowest amount in the NFL at just over $400,000.
Signing Jones to an extension would not only secure him for the future but also help the Chiefs lower his 2023 cap number, providing some much-needed financial flexibility.
Jones, a four-time Pro Bowler, one-time First-Team All-Pro, and two-time Super Bowl champion, is coming off a career-best season. He recorded 15.5 sacks, 29 quarterback hits, 44 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles. He also contributed two sacks in the playoffs as the Chiefs won their second Super Bowl in the past four seasons.
While the Chiefs’ offensive stars often receive the most attention, Jones has been a key contributor on defense and is deserving of praise. His impact on the team’s success, including their Super Bowl victories, cannot be understated. It is unlikely that the Chiefs would allow Jones to hit free agency and risk losing him to another team.
The Chiefs have been reported to have some amount of interest in attempting to sign free agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, released by the Arizona Cardinals in May, and remaining unsigned into mid-July. However, reports also indicate that a Jones agreement would be helpful in freeing up potential salary cap space that would make a Hopkins signing more probable.
