Chiefs GM Leaves Door Open For Chris Jones Extension Before July Deadline

Early in the offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs announced that they would place their franchise tag on defensive tackle Chris Jones. With big contracts on the horizon, a deal with the 25-year-old standout couldn't be reached before the tag deadline, but the team certainly isn't in favor of letting him go. Now, it seems the team is indeed interested in extending him.

According to NFL insider Adam Schefter, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach wants to continue their negotiations and put in some real effort to find some middle ground to retain their star interior defender for the years to come.

Chiefs’ GM Brett Veach on franchise player Chris Jones: “The deadline to get a deal done is July 15. So there’s a lot of time to continue dialogue and to work on something with Chris, but we certainly are going to work to retain him, not just for next year, but for the future.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 16, 2020

Jones had previously made some disparaging comments about being hit with the franchise tag and had felt as though the organization was undervaluing his talent. Veach's statement should provide some encouragement for the young tackle.

Jones's performances have likely earn him a big-time payday. In 2019, he made the Pro Bowl while helping to lead the Chiefs to a famous Super Bowl win. He recorded 40 tackles and a staggering 15.5 sacks the season before.

It's a good day for video clips of people being unable to block Chris Jones. pic.twitter.com/fyj4XylS0J
— Seth Keysor (@RealMNchiefsfan) March 31, 2020

There's a lot of work to be done to ensure that the groundwork is in place to place to pay Jones what he deserves on a mulit-year deal, but Veach's comments are a step in the right direction.