The Kansas City Chiefs just completed their final preseason game on Saturday, and now, head coach Andy Reid will have until Tuesday to trim the roster down to 53 players for the start of the regular season. One player who will be on the roster yet hasn't reported to the team in training camp is defensive tackle Chris Jones. With the price tag for defensive tackles increasing, Jones wants a new long-term contract.
This week, Jones took to Twitter to post a cryptic message and then replied to some Chiefs fans. When doing so, the defensive tackle hinted that he would be willing to hold out until Week 8, which would be their second game against the Denver Broncos. Now, Chiefs fans are dreading that he would hold out for that long.
On Sunday, Chiefs fans who happened to log onto their social media accounts may have seen an image of Jones' agent, Michael Katz, at Joe's KC BBQ in Kansas City. That had fans wondering if Katz was in the city to negotiate a contract for Jones.
Chris Jones' agent spotted in Kansas City, Chiefs fans wonder if contract is imminent
Chiefs fans are certainly hoping a deal is imminent with the team and Jones. After all, Jones was one of the top defensive players in the entire NFL, as evidenced by his third-place finish in the Defensive Player of the Year award voting.
This offseason, Jeffery Simmons of the Tennessee Titans, Daron Payne of the Washington Commanders, Dexter Lawrence of the New York Giants, and Quinnen Williams of the Jets all received contracts worth at least $90 million in total money. For Jones, he's in the final year of his four-year, $80 million deal signed back in 2020, and he wants to cash in and be one of the top-paid players at his position on an annual basis.
Greg Bishop of Sports Illustrated reports that Jones is looking to earn around $30 million per season on his next contract. Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams leads the way by making $31.67 million per season on his contract.
Will the Chiefs and Jones be able to reach an agreement for him to return to the team, specifically on a long-term contract extension? With their first game of the season taking place on Sept. 7, the clock is ticking.