Will Chris Jones be absent from the Kansas City Chiefs’ three-peat?
The 2024 Super Bowl champions, beginning with Chris Jones, have some decisions ahead of them as the Kansas City Chiefs aim to create history three times in the upcoming season.
The 29-year-old held out in the hopes of obtaining a new contract, missing both training camp and the first game of the previous season before agreeing to a lucrative contract with plenty of incentives.
He will now be eligible to sign a free agent contract for the first time, giving the two-time defending champions a choice to make. To what extent should the Chiefs go in order to get their top defensive lineman back?
NFL insider Peter Schrager of FOX Sports believes the Chiefs should go above and beyond. On Wednesday, he appeared on “First Things First” and informed Nick Wright, Chris Broussard, and Kevin Wildes that the Chiefs should “overpay” the five-time Pro Bowler.
“Chris Jones is more fitting for a Chiefs outfit. This is obvious,” he remarked. “You give the man what he wants; this year has shown that he has earned it.”
Last season, the three-time Super Bowl champion showed his worth, particularly in crucial moments. Eight of his thirty tackles during the 2023 season—four of them in the Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ers—came in the postseason.
Even though the Chiefs’ offense gained more notoriety during the Patrick Mahomes era, Jones and company managed to hold off their rivals in the closing moments to end the season with the Lombardi Trophy in hand.
Because of Jones’ excellent play and his collaboration with Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, the defense forced the Niners to punt five times and only converted three of their twelve third-down attempts, even in the Super Bowl.
Will Chris Jones be absent from this Chiefs three-peat?
Jones set team records in 16 games with 13 tackles for loss and 29 quarterback hits. In addition, he recorded 10.5 sacks, which tied for 17th in the league, on his way to earning his fifth straight Pro Bowl selection and a second consecutive first-team All-Pro selection. With ten or more sacks, it was his third season.
Schrager went on, “Chris Jones is a Hall of Famer if he never plays another snap.” “Throughout the Chiefs’ entire season, he has been the most underappreciated player. He’d like to become a chief. The Chiefs are interested in him. Chris Jones looks best wearing a Chiefs uniform.”
The second-round selection from 2016 has made no secret of his desire to stay in Kansas City; he most recently expressed this desire at the title parade last week. “Baby, I need three of those rings.” We’re not done yet, he declared. “Next year, we’ll be back in Kansas City. “And I’m not going nowhere, baby, for those who want Chris Jones gone!”
Though Schrager passionately argued for Jones’ retention in Kansas City, general manager Brett Veach and the former AFC Defensive Player of the Year have a lot to weigh.
Ben Arthur, an AFC South reporter for FOX Sports, dissected Jones’ contract estimate in a recent piece to see whether the Chiefs can really afford to bring the star back.
After doing more research, Arthur estimated that Jones’ contract would be between that of Nick Bosa of the 49ers and Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams, meaning that Jones would likely be worth “more than $33.1 million annually over four years ($132.5 million total value), including $93.7 million guaranteed and $67.2 million fully guaranteed.”
Although Jones has established himself as a crucial member of this “Chiefs dynasty,” would the defending Super Bowl champions be able to afford to spend that much to retain their star?
