Brett Veach general manager of Kansas City Chiefs, Just Announced that he is Leaving
Now that their original 53-man roster has been finalized and a practice squad is being assembled, the Kansas City Chiefs’ attention is directed toward their September 7 season-opening game against the Detroit Lions. The standout defensive tackle Chris Jones’ contract situation is another significant item the team must handle.
Jones was a holdout for training camp, the preseason, and organized team activities (OTAs). He will be under team control for the 2023–24 season. He is supposedly looking for an extension as he approaches his 29th birthday, one that would put him above Quinnen Williams and possibly even in the ballpark of Aaron Donald. Negotiations haven’t gone well in the offseason, but Kansas City hasn’t caved. Jones was placed on the reserve/did not report list by the Chiefs after they finalized the 53-man roster since his holdout did not end earlier this week.
While ESPN’s Adam Schefter stated that there was “no end currently in sight” for the Jones holdout, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach gave some encouraging remarks to the media on Wednesday afternoon. Veach reports that the team and Jones’s camp have lately communicated, and he anticipates that the standout interior defensive lineman will be wearing a uniform for Week 1.
Veach responded, “Well, listen, we’re very looking for that.” We have been communicating, and in the last few days alone, our communication has increased. We will thus keep moving forward and working hard since both sides of this issue deserve a great deal of respect. We’ve expressed our feelings about Chris quite clearly, and he feels the same way. We will simply continue to work on this. We’re excited for next Thursday, and maybe he’ll be in the starting lineup and prepared.”
Jones’s $19.5 million base salary for 2023 won’t be deducted from the Chiefs’ salary limit while he is on the did not report list. Furthermore, Kansas City retains the right to use a two-week window as a ramp-up phase in the event that Jones returns and reports to the squad at some point without needing to be paid. The third-best player in the Chiefs by far has resorted to social media to threaten to stretch his holdout into the regular season. If Veach’s assessment is correct, though, things might be a little more fluid than previously believed. Veach wants things to just keep moving forward while all parties try to reach an agreement.
“We have been in contact,” Veach stated. “And in the hopes that we can keep working to get something done, I’d like to keep all of those discussions between us and them just out of respect for the entire process.”
Updates on Tershawn Wharton, L’Jarius Sneed, and Kadarius Toney’s injuries
After the Chiefs claimed cornerback Darius Rush off the waiver wire on Wednesday morning, many speculated as to which player may be placed on the injured reserve list to create space on the roster for Rush. Instead, Kansas City released defensive lineman Matt Dickerson, a sign that the team is doing well overall.
Wide receiver Kadarius Toney, defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton, and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed have been the focus of numerous injury discussions. Their chances for Week 1 have been considered, with Toney recovering from a meniscus ailment sustained during training camp, Wharton still working to regain his full fitness after tearing his ACL last season, and Sneed battling a protracted knee issue. According to Veach, all of them are staying off the injured reserve list, so there’s a good chance they’ll be ready for the season’s opening. Wharton’s situation doesn’t seem to be too uncertain.
Veach stated, “I don’t want to speak for Rick (Burkholder) or the coaches, but they have an excellent chance to be where they need to be Week 1.” “We’ll see. I’ll defer to Rick and the players when it comes to making those selections. He gets along well with all of our players, but particularly with those two. Kudos to Turk Wharton, LJ, and Kadarius—in other words, to all the men. You immediately consider Turk Wharton, LJ, and Kadarius; just give them so much credit.
The amount of work that Rick, Julie (Frymyer), Glove (David Glover), Ev (Evan Craft), Tiff (Tiffany Morton), and the entire staff down there have put in is impressive. Those guys have put in a ton of overtime to position themselves to play on Thursday, and I believe they have a good opportunity. We’ll observe the outcome.
