Chiefs picked up option on All-Pro DT Chris Jones’ contract retaining the right to franchise tag him
Last offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs and Chris Jones had an issue with one another regarding Jones' contract. He wanted to be paid a lot of money, somewhere in the range of the second-highest to the highest-paid defensive tackle in the league, and he wanted the contract to be long terms. Neither side could come […]
Last offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs and Chris Jones had an issue with one another regarding Jones' contract. He wanted to be paid a lot of money, somewhere in the range of the second-highest to the highest-paid defensive tackle in the league, and he wanted the contract to be long terms. Neither side could come to an agreement.
This led to the Chiefs giving Jones a new one-year deal after he was held out of training camp and Week 1. Now, both sides are right back at square one. During the Super Bowl parade, Jones said he will be in Kansas City for the next few years.
On Friday, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Chiefs picked up Jones' option on his contract, retaining the right to franchise tag him and paying him the extra $4 million he earned in incentives.
Now, this can mean a lot of different things, and it can be confusing.
This means they can now have the option to franchise tag him. He was due the money regardless, as they were incentives, but now this means he won't go directly to being a free agent. So, it's pretty clear the Chiefs want to try to keep him around. However, Jones may not want to be tagged.
If he is tagged, he could end up having one of the bigger franchise-tagged contracts we see outside of quarterbacks, according to NFL contracts and salary cap expert Joel Corry.
The Chiefs now have a starting point to play around with. The negotiations are going to heat up quickly.
Chiefs HC Andy Reid opens up on Chris Jones’ contract situation before free agency even starts
The Chiefs will have some tough decisions to make.
