Chiefs Are Playing With Fire With Chris Jones
By Jerry Trotta
While the Kansas City Chiefs seem incentivized to get quarterback Patrick Mahomes signed to a contract extension as soon as humanly possible, it's been the complete opposite surrounding defensive lineman Chris Jones.
Per NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the Chiefs and Jones haven't held discussions about a long-term deal since he was franchise-tagged back in March. In the meantime, the 25-year-old star will continue his holdout of this offseason's organized team activities.
More info on the #Chiefs & DT Chris Jones: The reason “not much traction” has been made on contract talks is because no negotiations or discussions have occurred since the tag. Jones has not participated and will continue to not participate in any OTAs — virtual or otherwise. https://t.co/vAz1uwBj7E
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 29, 2020
Anybody know what Kansas City's play is here? To make matters worse, Jones has yet to sign the one-year tender associated with the franchise tag. For his position, it's reported to be worth a little over $16 million for the 2020 season.
The Chiefs alienating the 2019 Pro Bowler is a questionable move when you consider he's their best defensive player. He's proven to be one of the NFL's best pass-rushers since he was selected in the second round (No. 37 overall) of the 2016 Draft.
In 61 career games, Jones has posted 136 tackles, 33 sacks, 72 QB hits, 20 passes defended, seven forced fumbles and two interceptions. For the 2019 season, he earned an eye-popping 86.3 grade from Pro Football Focus.
From @NFLTotalAccess: The #Chiefs and franchised DT Chris Jones have not had any contract talks in months. pic.twitter.com/b9Chm6sAfo
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 30, 2020
Playmakers like the Mississippi State product don't come around very often, and he's vital to everything the Chiefs do on defense. Without him, their pass-rush efficiency would plummet and their secondary would suffer the consequences. To say that Kansas City is playing with fire would be an understatement. They need to focus on making the stud lineman happy.