Chris Jones: What Are Final Contract Hurdles Amid Holdout?

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The Kansas City Chiefs are suddenly in full swing for 2023 training camp. Quarterbacks and rookies reported early last week. Meanwhile, the entire veteran group ended up reporting on Saturday. There was one notable veteran who did not report to Chiefs training camp, however. Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that this player is star defensive tackle Chris Jones.

Throughout this summer, getting a contract extension done with Chris Jones was arguably one of the top priorities on Kansas City’s to-do list. In our prior articles surrounding this specific topic, we have laid out how negotiations may be different between he and the team this time around. We also mapped out what possible contract details could roughly look like on an extension. Finally, there even appeared to be positive signs growing towards a deal getting done before the start of training camp.

But now, Chris Jones is holding out to begin the start of 2023 training camp. What are some possible hurdles that still have to be ironed out, in order for a deal to get done? We will look into that, along with leverage points that each side may have amid this holdout. Let’s kick it off.

Leverage Points On Jones’ Side

It would be an understatement to say that Chris Jones has been playing as one of the best, if not the best, defensive tackles outside of Aaron Donald. Defensive linemen will largely generate more buzz from a statistical standpoint, if they are playing on the edge or as a defensive end. But for some leverage points in negotiations in the favor of Jones, his stats are truly remarkable for a defensive tackle.

His 15.5 sacks from last season tied a previous career high, which occurred in 2018. That was tied for the third-highest sack figure last year with Matthew Judon. Only Nick Bosa (18.5 sacks), Myles Garrett (16 sacks) and Haason Reddick (16 sacks) had more last season. Furthermore, Jones recorded his first two playoff sacks in this most recent playoff run. His pressures and hurries both exceeded 40 in 2022. Last year was arguably a year in which the Chiefs defender could have won Defensive Player of the Year.

Interestingly, Chris Jones accumulated 916 defensive snaps last year. Why is that important? For one, that was the most defensive snaps that he had ever played in a single season throughout his career, accounting for 80 percent of the total defensive snaps. Only Christian Wilkins of the Miami Dolphins played more snaps among defensive tackles last year (955 snaps, 84 percent of Miami’s defensive snaps). Additionally, Jones has some leverage of performing in clutch moments at many points over a long period of time. Could this player actually be worth anywhere above $25 million per season and be paid as the second-highest defensive tackle in the league? I’d say he has a strong case.

Leverage Points On Kansas City’s Side

The leverage points on Kansas City’s side of this equation may not necessarily be in an attempt to attack Chris Jones. But instead, it involves their main nucleus within the roster going forward. The Chiefs have done well to not get too old in most spots on the roster. And while Jones just turned 29 years old, Kansas City has been smart with how they approach players entering their thirties.

The Chiefs are also due to pay some other players handsomely very soon. Sure, the salary cap is expected to continue to go up. You can also maneuver around it and manipulate it to a certain extent. But of course, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach and his staff have done well to keep Kansas City out of salary cap hell. They have not been willing to budge on resetting the market with players not named Patrick Mahomes. And in the end, they may be more willing to come close to resetting the market with players that are protecting Mahomes himself. Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith will both be due extensions soon.

In the end, Chris Jones is subject to a fine of $50,000 for each day missed in training camp, under the rules of the CBA. That could possibly lead to the defensive tackle reporting relatively soon. The Chiefs and Chris Jones could then attempt to hammer out any final details in person in hopes of getting a deal done, as a result.

What To Make Of Various Reports Amid Holdout

Overall, there have been different angles to the reporting of where this Chris Jones situation stands. ESPN’s Adam Schefter mentioned that the two sides were “far apart” on a new deal. That seems to be a bit exaggerated, to a point. Perhaps, Schefter is gathering more information from Jones’ camp than anyone else and what their priorities are.

Chiefs’ All-Pro DT Chris Jones, who has been seeking a new deal this off-season, did not report with the rest of the team to training camp today, per source. The two sides remain “far apart” on a new deal for the Defensive Players of the Year finalist. pic.twitter.com/7doEzdxZcO

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 22, 2023

Earlier on in the offseason, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated expressed optimism in a deal getting done before the start of training camp. NFL Network’s James Palmer seemed to echo that sentiment, to boot. Although, he got the sense that this optimism was not necessarily mutual as the start of training camp approached.

The #Chiefs were optimistic something would get done by the start of training camp. We are here and a deal isn’t done. My sense is that feeling of optimism wasn’t really mutual from both sides as camp approached. https://t.co/cXW2zCdMZJ

— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) July 22, 2023

No matter what report or quote you want to believe, Chris Jones is likely demanding at or near the top of the market, from an average annual value standpoint on his next contract. Will Kansas City be willing to do that for a defensive player nearing his thirties? Or, will the Chiefs decide to meet the asking price of the defensive tackle going into the future?

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.