The start of the 2023 NFL regular season is only a few days away when the Kansas City Chiefs kick things off against the Detroit Lions at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, game time set for 7 p.m. CDT on Thursday, September 7.
Good news for Chiefs Kingdom: everyone within the team’s locker room is healthy and will be available on Thursday night. Except for one key piece on defense, which has been the recurring theme of the Chiefs’ offseason: Chris Jones.
Jones has missed the majority of off-season activities and was a no-show during training camp and preseason. Now, Stone Cold is living up to his nickname, as the first game of the season is only three days away, and nobody knows where he’s at or when he’ll report. Not even head coach Andy Reid, who told reporters his main focus is preparing for the Lions.
“I can’t tell you that [if Jones will play against the Lions],” Reid said. “I don’t know what his agenda is or when he’s coming or not coming. But we’re rolling right now. I haven’t put much into it.”
Based on a report earlier this summer, Jones is seeking a new contract extension within the ballpark of $30 million per season. Although Kansas City has remained firm on not paying overinflated numbers that would make their star D-tackle the highest paid at his position, general manager Brett Veach has offered a deal that would make Jones almost the same amount as Los Angeles Rams DT Aaron Donald, who is currently the league’s highest-paid player at that position.
On Saturday, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported that the Chiefs had offered a three-year, $74 million deal with $70 million guaranteed. NFL reporter Albert Breer echoed Florio and broke down the numbers that would give Jones the second-richest contract for a defensive tackle.
Unfortunately for the Chiefs, it’s apparently not enough. According to Florio, the difference is $10 million more than what Kansas City is offering. Jones reportedly wants $28 million per season over the next three years, which adds to $84 million.
As reported on Saturday, Jones wants $28 million per year over the next three years, a total of $84 million. The argument being made by some is that the $19.5 million Jones was due to make this year must be treated as “old money,” with the difference being “new money.” So if Jones gets $28 million per year over the next three years, he’ll get $84 million. Under the phoney-baloney new-money analysis, that becomes an average of $32.25 million in “new money” (i.e., $84 million minus $19.5 million, divided by two). And since that number exceeds the average of the Aaron Donald contract ($31.67 million over three years), Jones is being characterized by some as actually wanting more than Donald.
– Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk
Unless somebody blinks first, the stalemate between Chris Jones and the Chiefs’ front office appears far from over and will most certainly bleed into the regular season. This leaves players inside the team’s locker room having mixed emotions of not wanting to play without their teammate but being forced to move forward with the ‘next-man-up’ mentality.
“At this point, you just kind of prepare to play the game with the guys that are in the building and let the front office handle that,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “We’ve got a tough test with the Detroit Lions, and we’re going to focus on how we can win with the guys here.”
Second-year defensive end George Karlaftis is following Mahomes’ lead and agrees that all the team can do now is battle with the guys that are there.
“It’s always been a next man up mentality – that’s how it’s been – if Chris [Jones] was here and he got hurt, it would be the same situation,” Karlaftis said. “You always prepare with what you got. That’s all we’ve had this offseason, and that’s how we are going to approach the game – whoever is here, that’s all we need to win.”
Tight end Travis Kelce and his brother, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, spoke on Jones’ absence on their podcast, New Heights. Kelce took a different approach and subtly begged his teammate to return to the locker room.
“Chris,” Kelce began. “Can you please come back? You’re really scaring me, man. I don’t get it. You must know something that I don’t know because I just don’t get it. I really want to get another Super Bowl ring with you, brother. This is me begging you to just come back and play football for the Chiefs. Please, we need you.”
In more ways than one, the absence of Chris Jones is being felt throughout the Chiefs organization. Unless the team’s front office gives in to his financial demands, Kansas City will probably need to get used to suiting up without the seven-year veteran.
The Chiefs drafted Jones in the second round of the 2016 draft, and he has been an anchor to the team’s defensive line ever since. Last season, he tied his career-high from 2018 with 15.5 sacks and totaled 44 tackles, which helped contribute to Kansas City winning Super Bowl LVII.
