How Chris Jones’ contract drama will effect the Chiefs re-signing Patrick Mahomes
By John Buhler
No long-term deal with Chris Jones means he’s playing elsewhere in 2021.
Brett Veach faces a ton of pressure to get Chris Jones, Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes paid.
It would be quite the parlay to pull that off with next to no cap space, but if any person can do the unthinkable and get three perennial Pro Bowlers paid top-dollar, it’s the Kansas City Chiefs general manager. The clock is ticking on Jones getting a long-term extension ahead of the July 15 deadline. If a deal is not met in two weeks, Jones will play his final year with the Chiefs on the tag.
Yes, it will be Jones’ final year in Kansas City because the Chiefs simply cannot afford to pay him what he’s worth entering 2021 NFL free agency. According to Spotrac, the Chiefs have $3.57 million to work with in available cap space in 2020. Only the New England Patriots are in a worse situation against the cap in the NFL.
If you look ahead to 2021, Kansas City may have $33.29 million available, but that’s still bottom half of the league at No. 22 overall. While the Chiefs are in the top half of the league in available cap space for 2022 at $164 million, they will have had to make all three important financial decisions about Jones’, Kelce’s and Mahomes’ financial future in Kansas City by then.
What happens if the Chiefs can agree to a long-term deal with Jones in the next two weeks? Veach must then prioritize getting Kelce a new contract. He needs to make above what Austin Hooper is making with the Cleveland Browns, but he cannot be paid what George Kittle is slated to make on his mega deal ahead of his free agency in 2021. Beat Kittle to the punch and Kelce stays, too.
Should Jones have to reluctantly play on the franchise tag or hold out in frustrating, just ride it out in 2020. Draft someone else out of the SEC in the second round next spring and move on. While you’re at it, begin coming to grips with Kelce playing his last year in Kansas City in 2021. If you think he deserves Kittle money when he doesn’t block as well and is in his early 30s, think again.
All this is lining up to is a sweet early payday for one Patrick Mahomes. If Veach and Jones’ representation can’t come to a long-term agreement, it’s time to amp up Mahomes becoming the highest paid quarterback in the history of the NFL. Let’s get him a fat new deal and then figure out how to replace Jones and Kelce long-term in the aggregate. It sucks, but the NFL is a business.
If Chris Jones plays on the tag, it means it’s time to pay Patrick Mahomes.
It may sound counterintuitive to pay a starting quarterback early when he’s still on his rookie deal. However, Mahomes is a former first-round pick. He’s won Kansas City a Super Bowl and took home NFL MVP in his first year as a starter. Though he may be appropriately compensated for his draft slot, Mahomes has done more than enough to be the highest paid player in the league.
Technically, Veach doesn’t have to pay Mahomes top-dollar until he’d hit unrestricted free agency in 2022. Delaying payment he’s rightfully earned obviously won’t sit well with his camp, but it is an incredible frugal possibility. Be thankful the Chiefs aren’t into pinching pennies. They’re a franchise who’s into winning championships and wants to keep doing that for as long as humanly possible.
So what we’re getting at here is the second Mahomes puts pen to paper, his contract will be depreciating in value. It’s better to have Mahomes a few years into a five-year deal worth $40 million annually than being not even into year one of a five-year deal worth upwards of $55 million. Yes, the inflation rate of quarterback money is getting borderline out of hand these days.
If the Chiefs can’t reach a long-term agreement before July 15 with Jones, don’t fret. Just look at it as an opportunity to pay Mahomes what he’s worth perhaps a summer sooner than expected. Doing so may even leave the door ajar just enough to get Kelce paid before Kittle. If that’s the case, then Veach would only have to look for Jones’ successor and get ready to pay someone else.
Next. These 5 NFL teams are going to have the No. 1 overall pick soon. dark
No, it won’t take long. We’ll hear legions of Chiefs Kingdom clamoring for Mecole Hardman to get paid, for Juan Thornhill to get paid or even Clyde Edwards-Helaire to get paid. Veach continues to crush it in the draft, so there is never a dearth of great talent coming into the Chiefs organization year in and year out. While you can’t pay everybody, you have to pay Mahomes whatever is takes.
If Jones plays on the tag, don’t worry about Kelce and get Mahomes his record-setting contract.