Chiefs DT Chris Jones' contract will give him a chance to do something only Derrick Thomas has before
Kansas City Chiefs DT Chris Jones' five-year contract extension affords him a rare opportunity. Not only will he have a chance to cement himself as one of the most dominant defenders in franchise history, but he could wind up in the top 25 in NFL history in a key stat. Jones currently ranks fifth in franchise […]
Kansas City Chiefs DT Chris Jones' five-year contract extension affords him a rare opportunity. Not only will he have a chance to cement himself as one of the most dominant defenders in franchise history, but he could wind up in the top 25 in NFL history in a key stat.
Jones currently ranks fifth in franchise history with 75.5 sacks. He only needs to average five sacks per season over the next three years to pass Justin Houston (78.5), Neil Smith (85.5), and Tamba Hali (89.5) to be second in sacks in franchise history to only Derrick Thomas (126.5).
How realistic is it that Jones surpasses the record held by Thomas? He'd have to play all five years of his new deal to have a chance at it, but we know that Jones is dead set on finishing his career in Kansas City. Jones averages 9.4 sacks per year during the regular season throughout his career. If you take out his rookie year, an outlier two-sack season, that average increases 10.5 sacks per year. If he kept to that average, he'd finish the 2028 NFL season with 128 career sacks, the most in franchise history.
The more likely scenario? Jones becomes the second player in franchise history to record 100 sacks with the club. He needs to average just over eight sacks to achieve that mark in the next three seasons.
In terms of NFL history, Von Miller (123.5) and Cameron Jordan (117.5) are the only two active players who rank in the top 25 in sacks. Justin Houston (112) is closing in, too. With just 24.5 more sacks in his NFL career, Jones can become the 44th player in league history to reach 100 career sacks. To crack the top 25, he'll need at least 114 career sacks and that's only if Houston, Aaron Donald, Calais Campbell, Khalil Mack, and TJ Watt don't beat him to the punch.
The calculated risk of extending Chiefs DT Chris Jones
There is a reason that Chiefs GM Brett Veach has been hesitant to hand out long-term contract extensions to players after they turn 30 years old. No one NFL player is the same, but there is a clear drop-off among NFL interior defensive linemen after they turn 30 years old.
Aaron Donald? He posted 12.5 sacks at 30 years old before posting five sacks and eight sacks in his age 31 and age 32 seasons.
Fletcher Cox? He posted 6.5 sacks at 30 years old before posting 3.5 sacks and seven sacks in the following two seasons.
The best is that Jones, a surefire Pro Football Hall of Famer in the future, is an outlier. With this contract, the Chiefs are wagering that Jones could be Reggie White, who recorded 15, 14, and 13 sacks, respectively, in his age 30, 31, and 32 seasons. They're not only banking on his ability to maintain his level of play, but they're banking on that Jones possesses that type of historical greatness that only comes around once in a while.
There is little doubt that this is a risk for the Chiefs, but it's the kind of risk the franchise can afford to take when you're the most competitive team in football. It's a risk they're willing to take while at the footsteps of NFL history with a chance to become the first team to ever win three consecutive Super Bowls.
Contract details for Kansas City Chiefs DT Chris Jones will tell the full story of record-setting deal
Kansas City Chiefs DT Chris Jones’ contract is more than meets the eye.
