Could Chiefs Consider Trading Chris Jones?

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The Chris Jones holdout has extended beyond what most people imagined it would be. And now, we are just 14 days away from the opening night of the regular season in Kansas City. The Chiefs could very well be missing Jones for that contest against the Detroit Lions. Granted, there is still some time to hammer out a possible deal, if the two sides can find common ground.

Yet, finding that common ground has apparently gone stagnant. Yesterday, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid discussed that there had been “no communication,” when asked about Jones’ status. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes echoed that no one “expected him to be out this long.” But, Mahomes added that he knows Chris “loves the Chiefs.”

The head coach’s comments are interesting. Usually someone that does not add much new information during press conferences, Reid saying that there has been no communication is startling. That could tell you something about where this situation stands. To boot, Jones recently noted that he would be willing to miss regular season games, if it came to that point.

The Chiefs and the star defensive tackle are simply waiting for one party to blink first. In negotiations, each side holds a bit of leverage. But at the same time, this contract dispute has been both confusing and frustrating to understand. Kansas City reportedly made Jones a significant contract offer. He is not budging on what appears to be a record-setting figure. While the likelihood of a move taking place still seems unlikely, the current timing of this holdout begs a new question. Could the Chiefs actually consider trading Chris Jones? There are reasons to point towards, in which a move could end up making sense. Let’s kick it off.

Familiar Road?

Is the Chris Jones situation growing into what the Tyreek Hill situation became? It feels very similar at this stage. The expectation for Hill was that he would eventually get a sizable raise and there would be no issues with him staying in Kansas City. However, the wide receiver market skyrocketed at a rapid pace in the 2022 offseason. Davante Adams became the highest-paid wide receiver at the time of his new extension, following his trade to the Las Vegas Raiders. Of course, the Christian Kirk contract and others in 2022 free agency skewed the position in earnings. And even after the Hill trade, others like Cooper Kupp, Deebo Samuel, DK Metcalf and Terry McLaurin all received extensions that exceeded $20 million per season last summer.

Now for the defensive tackle market, it has grown considerably this offseason. It may not be as drastic as the wide receiver market was. Though, the defensive tackle market has continually inched higher and higher all offseason long. Javon Hargrave signed for $21 million per year in free agency. Others like Quinnen Williams ($24 million per year), Jeffery Simmons ($23.5 million per year), Daron Payne ($22.5 million per year) and Dexter Lawrence ($21.875 million per year) all signed extensions just this offseason alone. With Jones set to make $20 million this season, the market has quickly passed him by, putting the Chiefs in a fascinating position.

Chiefs May Feel A Sense Of Urgency

Overall, the Chiefs may feel a sense of urgency, if Chris Jones is not going to sign or report to Kansas City. Say the relationship is broken or tarnished, that is another reason as to why a trade could be a possibility. If that is the case, Kansas City may feel like they need to act quickly. The Chiefs may attempt to get something for him, as he enters the last year of his current deal, rather than losing him for nothing down the road. There is simply no guarantee that Jones will be back with Kansas City. If he will not return, the Chiefs could quickly reverse course, act swiftly and attempt to not lose him for free, so to speak.

Kansas City Has Set Firm Line In The Sand

Certainly, Chris Jones deserves to be paid more than what his current contract is set at. His play has dictated that he is arguably the best defensive tackle in the league, outside of Aaron Donald. Once again, Kansas City reportedly made him a significant offer. However, the Chiefs have been okay with moving on from star players that are seeking a noteworthy raise or are attempting to reset the market. Look no further than the aforementioned Hill or Orlando Brown Jr.

All told, recent history indicates that the Chiefs are unlikely to budge on sizable offers. The future salary cap outlook is always going to be crucial for a team with the best quarterback in the NFL. And while they would likely want to keep Jones for his entire career, other names like Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, Nick Bolton and L’Jarius Sneed are in a contract year in either 2023 or 2024. Outside of Mahomes, it is going to be rare for a player to reset the market in Kansas City. The Chiefs have made that abundantly clear.

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.