Chiefs Rumors: Justyn Ross injury update, Chris Jones latest, year 2 breakout

Chiefs Rumors: Latest Chris Jones contract reports a cause for concern

Kansas City Chiefs training camp and preseason play move on, but Chris Jones is still not with the club. As everyone is fully aware by now, the 29-year-old Defensive Player of the Year candidate is looking for a monster second contract, one that will pay him roughly $30 million per season. With Jones holding out, it’s obvious that the Chiefs have pushed back on that at the negotiating table.

But the latest update suggests that they won’t be doing that much longer.

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio noted recently on PFT Live that Jones has the Chiefs in “checkmate” when it comes to these contract negotiations. The defensive tackle has the leverage because of how important he is to the defense and, even though Kansas City has seen guys like Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce sign team-friendly deals, they are going to have to swallow paying market price for Jones.

Florio stated that his read on the situation is that the Chiefs are “resisting” paying Jones the roughly $30 million per season that the defensive lineman is looking for because “they know they’re going to regret this” a few seasons into the deal when Jones, who will then be on the wrong side of 30, would assumedly start to decline.

But again, with the Chiefs in the proverbial “checkmate” with Jones, as Florio stated, the team is going to have to pony up the dough for their star defender. The one thing they can’t do is expect this defense to be at Super Bowl-caliber levels if they don’t have one of the most disruptive defensive presences in the league lining up on the line.

All told, I’m sure the Chiefs realize that at this point and there will come a time when the deal will get done, likely before Week 1. They don’t have the leverage — they have a need to get Chris Jones on the field. That’s the trump card here, and what will ultimately get the deal done.