Chris Jones supports Chiefs free-agent move that could push him out of Kansas City

The Kansas City Chiefs finished the 2023 NFL season by becoming just the eighth franchise to win back-to-back championships. As they look ahead to the 2024 NFL season, their quest to become the first team to win three Super Bowl championships in a row will be a difficult one.

The Chiefs have 19 players set to be unrestricted free agents when the new league year begins on March 13, but the offensive side of the ball needs new blood as well. General manager Brett Veach will have to find a left tackle to replace Donovan Smith and address Kansas City's wide receiver corps. The receivers' struggles with catching the ball were among the many maladies that plagued the Chiefs' offense in 2023. During the regular season, Kansas City compiled a league-high 44 dropped passes (2.6 drops per game).

DT Chris Jones supports WR Odell Beckham Jr. joining the Kansas City Chiefs

On Friday, ESPN analyst Robert Griffin III suggested that the Chiefs should bring in a particular star receiver who has rarely dropped the ball in his career: Odell Beckham Jr.

"The [Chiefs] SHOULD SIGN Odell Beckham Jr.," Griffin posted on social media. "Last year he proved he is STILL DYNAMIC after being 8th in the NFL averaging 16.1 yards per catch. The [Chiefs] struggled with drops last year, but [Beckham Jr.] had the lowest drop rate of his career with 1 drop on 64 targets (1.6%). Chief him."

Beckham Jr., who spent the 2023 NFL season with the Baltimore Ravens, has not dropped more than three balls in any of the last three seasons. The former first-round draft pick has played with several different teams and quarterbacks during that timespan. Although he was once considered among the best receivers in the league, the 31-year-old veteran has suffered multiple injuries in recent years. Still, he was healthy last year and he was a pivotal part of the Los Angeles Rams' Super Bowl LVI victory two years ago.

Chiefs' All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones retweeted Griffin's post. For Chiefs' fans, this should be a sign of optimism for Jones' chances of returning to Kansas City. He likely wouldn't be invested in Kansas City's free agency signings if he didn't expect to be on the team next year.

Then again, the Chiefs will already have a difficult time signing Jones. Just consider last season's prolonged holdout after the Chiefs were unable to agree on a long-term extension with their star defensive tackle. Signing Beckham Jr. would make it difficult to retain the services of Jones and cornerback L'Jarius Sneed, who were both key figures on a defense that propelled Kansas City to Super Bowl LVIII.

The Chiefs will enter free agency with approximately $26.6 million in salary cap space, even after the league's record-breaking salary cap increase this year. Around $7 million of that will be reserved for the team's incoming 2024 NFL Draft class, leaving the Chiefs with roughly $19.7 million in available cap space.

Both Sneed and Jones are due for hefty paydays. Spotrac estimates place Jones' market value at $85.4 million over three years for an average of $28.4 million per year. Sneed's market value comes in at $65.3 million over four years for an average of $16.3 million per year. Odell Beckham's market value is expected to be a one-year deal worth $11.9 million.

There are ways for the Chiefs to free up enough cap space to bring in Beckham Jr. while also retaining both Sneed and Jones, but it won't be easy.

The Chiefs' success should also help them reel in the top players available on the market. In the post-Tom Brady era, Kansas City has become the premier destination for any aging, veteran players that are searching for a championship.

The NFL's last dynasty, the New England Patriots, used their success as a selling point to sign free agents to cheap contracts. Just consider cornerback Darrelle Revis, who signed a one-year contract with New England for the 2014 NFL season. Revis helped the Patriots win Super Bowl XLIX, solidifying his first-ballot entrance into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Perhaps the Chiefs can convince Beckham Jr. to take a similar one-year deal.