Ahead of the start of the 2023 NFL regular season, the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs faced a big problem, as the team had been unable to see eye-to-eye on a new contract with star defensive tackle Chris Jones.
Jones felt as if he deserved a lucrative long-term contract and was willing to hold out as long as possible in order to get what he wanted, which he did as he missed training camp and the entire NFL preseason.
Along with missing all that time, Jones also missed the season-opening game against the Detroit Lions, which resulted in a one-point loss for Kansas City.
Fortunately, that’s where the issues stopped for the Chiefs, as miraculously, they were able to come to terms on a lucrative one-year deal with Jones that was heavily incentivized, which is something that wasn’t expected as he was hoping for a long-term deal.
Ultimately, it worked out for both parties, with the team winning another Super Bowl title and Jones playing well and cashing in simultaneously.
Now the two sides will be back to square one during the NFL offseason, with Nick Wright of FOX Sports believing the team should overpay to keep Jones in Kansas City, via “First Things First.”
“I’d overpay for Chris Jones,” Wright said. “There are four no-doubt Hall of Fame players associated with the KC dynasty — [Patrick] Mahomes, [Travis] Kelce, [Tyreek] Hill, Jones. Kelce will retire. Hill, you got a ton back. If Chris leaves, you lose two of your four Hall of Famers and get nothing back — that’s hard to deal with.”
“I’d overpay for Chris Jones. There are 4 no-doubt HOF players associated with the KC dynasty — Mahomes, Kelce, Hill, Jones. Kelce will retire. Hill, you got a ton back. If Chris leaves, you lose 2 of your 4 HOF’ers & get nothing back — that’s hard to deal with.” — @getnickwright pic.twitter.com/vEUTiDGKbI
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) February 21, 2024
The Chiefs definitely should do everything within their power to keep Jones, but it really comes down to what he’s asking for, and that will likely be the difference.
It’s safe to assume it will be a high number once again, but it’s uncertain if he’ll insist on a long-term deal this time around.
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