Chris Jones Extension: Mapping Out Possible Contract Details

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The Kansas City Chiefs are hoping to get one major contract extension done soon. Defensive tackle Chris Jones is entering the final year of his current deal. However, the Mississippi State product has played like one of the best defenders in the league for a good bit now. That could lead to Jones becoming one of the highest-paid defenders in the NFL, as a result.

We recently touched on some positive signs regarding the timing of a possible Chris Jones contract extension. Elsewhere, there are different factors involved in this current set of negotiations, compared to the last time Jones got a deal. How could that affect the final details of his next deal?

Today, we will attempt to best predict what the possible contract details will be. What has the play of Chris Jones earned, in terms of monetary value? Will Kansas City be willing to go above and beyond on the average annual value scale, to boot? Let’s kick it off.

Chris Jones Still In Prime Of Career

As much as Chris Jones has produced near league-leading levels, he is still in the prime of his career. He just turned 29 years old yesterday. When thinking of some of the best defensive tackles in recent memory, most have still been highly serviceable into their mid-thirties. How does that possibly impact the term of a Jones deal?

For starters, Chris Jones is probably at the beginning stages of his peak years. He is still evolving and improving as well. When looking into the play style of Jones, the defensive tackle is able to be versatile in critical situations. Look no further than his sack when flexed out to the defensive end spot in the AFC Championship Game against the Cincinnati Bengals. If he can continue to be flexible in those moments with the game on the line, Kansas City could be extremely comfortable committing to him for another handful of seasons.

How Has Recent Production Placed Jones Near Top Of Pay Scale?

Despite not winning the award last year, Chris Jones played like the Defensive Player of the Year in 2022. His 15.5 sacks tied a single-season career high, which he previously set in 2018. The run defense of Jones was still adequate. However, the rate at which he got home to the quarterback or forced them out of the pocket or into hurried throws was extremely high. Jones simply was a consistent terror for opposing quarterbacks last year, never really having quiet weeks. More importantly, Jones produced the most that he ever has in a single postseason in these last set of playoff games. His six quarterback hits, three tackles for loss and two sacks were all new personal bests in a single postseason.

Chris Jones has long been seen as possibly the second best defensive tackle in the league behind the otherworldly Aaron Donald. Though, his recent dominance and new levels of production have only confirmed that further. We are in an era where we are seeing some of the greatest all-around defensive tackle play in league history. Recent contract extensions handed out to the position reflect that tremendously. But for Chris Jones, he has earned a spot at the top of the ladder, when it comes to contract value behind Donald.

Predicting Possible Contract Details

With that last point in mind, let’s take a quick look at the top average annual values for the highest-paid defensive tackles. There are currently six defensive tackles that sit above Chris Jones in this category for average salary per season. Jones makes an average of $20 million per year on his current contract. The aforementioned Donald holds an average annual value of $31.666 million. The next three highest average salaries at defensive tackle are all due to players who signed a contract extension this offseason. This includes Jeffery Simmons ($23.5 million), Daron Payne ($22.5 million) and Dexter Lawrence ($21.875 million).

You then have two players each averaging $21 million per season, afterwards. Javon Hargrave is one of those players, recently signing a free agent deal with the San Francisco 49ers this offseason. DeForest Buckner of the Indianapolis Colts is also in possession of a $21 million average annual value. In the end, it may not take much of a raise in average annual value to place Chris Jones second on this list of average annual value at defensive tackle. Though, how far are the Chiefs willing to go in this category?

Final Prediction: Kansas City Signs Chris Jones To A 4-Year Extension Worth $104 Million In Total Value

Our final prediction does not quite give Chris Jones the full term that he could receive, as we opted for four years instead of five years on our prediction. However, this would give him an average annual value of $26 million per season. That places him well above Simmons and Payne in that category, while still having the opportunity to reach over $100 million in total value. By all accounts, Jones should also be able to receive more guaranteed salary this time around, compared to his last contract extension.

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.