How Are Chris Jones Negotiations Different This Time Around?

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Far and away, the Kansas City Chiefs’ most important contract to get done is that of defensive tackle Chris Jones. Jones is set to enter his eighth career NFL season in 2023. Overall, the soon-to-be 29-year-old is about to play the final year on his current contract.

According to Spotrac, his base salary for 2023 sits at $19.5 million, with his cap hit being $28.291 million. As for his cash details in 2023, Chris Jones is due exactly $20 million in yearly cash. That is a decent chunk of change for this upcoming season. Though, there is no denying that Jones has earned a pay raise and a more lucrative contract extension for the next few years.

How have negotiations possibly changed between the Kansas City Chiefs and Chris Jones this time around, compared to the last set of negotiations between the two? Plus, where could he sit, when it comes to future AAV (average annual value) for each season? Let’s kick it off.

Jones Has Continued To Produce Often In Biggest Of Moments

When Chris Jones signed his four-year, $80 million contract extension in July of 2020, there were quite a few quirks surrounding his guarantees. The fully guaranteed portion of the deal amounted to less than half of the total value. In fact, Jones was only due $37.626 million in fully guaranteed money on his current contract. Those are items that allowed Kansas City to take less of a hit annually, when it came to cap and cash.

Even though Chris Jones had enjoyed a superb career start before that four-year signing, there was hope that he could still reach a higher ceiling. Health was also something that he battled with here and there. It is safe to say that in the first three years of his current deal, Jones has elevated his play even more to reach that higher ceiling. His pass rush results truly standout.

For instance, he tied a single-season career high in 2022 with 15.5 sacks during the regular season. He has 32 sacks over the last three seasons combined. More importantly, Jones started to find more consistency in postseason play the last few years. His two sacks in the most recent postseason helped get the Chiefs back to another Super Bowl. When the lights shine brightest in the biggest of moments, Chris Jones has found his groove.

Chiefs Boast Much Younger Defense

When Chris Jones signed his most recent contract extension, the Kansas City Chiefs were much older as a defense. The team opted to run it back after winning Super Bowl LIV entering the 2020 season. In the end, that group seemed to show their age quickly, for the most part. But now in 2023, Chris Jones is surrounded by a tremendously youthful defensive unit. So much so, that the Mississippi State product is now one of the oldest guys on the entire defense. Only depth safety Deon Bush is older in age, though he and Chris Jones were both in the 2016 NFL Draft class.

Obviously, the Chiefs wanted to keep Jones around in the previous negotiations. But now that he is one of the elder statesmen, so to speak, his leadership, wisdom and experience means so much more to the Kansas City defense. Many defensive teammates lean on him for a plethora of items. As a result, the Chiefs could be more pressured to increase their price point to meet the asking price of Chris Jones. His veteran knowledge is one thing. Yet, his continued dominance and growth while getting older on a much younger unit is great leverage for him.

Newer Defensive Tackle Deals Pushing Jones’ Price Point

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Chris Jones is currently set to make the seventh-highest average salary, from a per year basis, among defensive tackles. That standing among his peers may not sound all that bad. However, Jones has definitely earned that aforementioned pay raise. He is also likely worth being paid as the second or third highest defensive tackle on average per season.

Just this offseason alone, three defensive tackles have received mega contract extensions. Jeffery Simmons of the Tennessee Titans (four years, $94 million), Daron Payne of the Washington Commanders (four years, $90 million) and Dexter Lawrence of the New York Giants (four years, $87.5 million) all signed monster deals to remain with their original teams. Meanwhile, Javon Hargrave signed with the San Francisco 49ers for four years and $84 million in free agency.

We have never seen the defensive tackle position get paid so well on a per year basis, sans Aaron Donald. Simmons (second at $23.5 million), Payne (third at $22.5 million), Lawrence (fourth at $21.875 million) and Hargrave (tied for fifth with DeForest Buckner at $21 million) are now all above Chris Jones in the category of average salary per season. Surely, this will raise the price point of Jones significantly.

Kansas City did not have to contend with so many recent defensive tackle deals during the prior negotiations. That is especially true, when it comes to extensions that continually reset the defensive tackle market. And do not forget, the New York Jets and Quinnen Williams are also in negotiations for a new defensive tackle extension. The price point is raised significantly for the Chiefs this time around.

Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs articles and analysis throughout this week. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.