NFL insider expects Chiefs' Chris Jones to earn big bucks on open market in 2024
While the contract-related drama between the Kansas City Chiefs and star DT Chris Jones came to an end in Week 2, a long-term deal has not yet happened. Absent a contract extension or franchise tag with Kansas City before March of 2024, Jones will find himself a free agent for the first time in his NFL […]
While the contract-related drama between the Kansas City Chiefs and star DT Chris Jones came to an end in Week 2, a long-term deal has not yet happened.
Absent a contract extension or franchise tag with Kansas City before March of 2024, Jones will find himself a free agent for the first time in his NFL career. Many around the league expect that he'll reach free agency, including ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler.
Fowler recently spoke with executives and agents around the NFL to gather information on some of the top-performing players who will soon become free agents. What he found out about Jones is that he could fetch a pretty penny on the open market.
"Jones didn't need a hot start to solidify his status as a top free agent, but he's helped his case tremendously by producing right away after his holdout. The Chiefs were impressed — but not surprised — that Jones showed up for Week 2 in excellent shape and produced 3.5 sacks through his first three games, setting a tone for a defense that's been mostly stout.
"The Chiefs effectively won the standoff with Jones, who lost millions by missing all of training camp and Week 1, only to sign a reworked one-year deal that requires hitting a series of incentives to be made whole. Since the franchise tag would cost the Chiefs more than $30 million in 2024, Jones is poised to hit the open market — and will be rewarded. One veteran NFL agent forecasts a three-year, $90 million pact between Jones and a contender. An NFL executive saw something short of that … but close."
While a contract extension between the Chiefs and Jones might seem unlikely, there has been no bad blood between the two sides despite the holdout that caused Jones to miss Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season. The Chiefs still want Jones long-term, and Jones still has the desire to remain in Kansas City. It might take reaching the open market for the two sides to find common ground.
A three-year contract worth $90 million after the 2023 NFL season would lock Jones up Jones through 2026, when he'll turn 33 years old. He's shown no signs of drop-off in his play this season. Jones is already 35% of the way to his 10-sack contract incentive in his reworked contract with the Chiefs. The difference he has made in the past three games has been palpable — and working to replace that could be more trouble than it's worth.
There's still quite a bit of time before the Chiefs Kingdom needs to worry themselves with an extension for Jones, but it's clear that the league is already thinking about it with his hot start to the season.
Vikings’ Byron Murphy makes critical error ahead of Chiefs game
Minnesota Vikings CB Byron Murphy has a boneheaded plan for Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce in Week 5.
