Why Chiefs DT Chris Jones' holdout strategy is unlikely to pay off
It appears as if Kansas City Chiefs star DT Chris Jones' holdout is going to last into the 2023 NFL season. Many have considered the financial implications of the holdout and they don't quite understand the benefit to Jones missing regular season games. The reality of the situation is quite simple really. Missing games is a […]
It appears as if Kansas City Chiefs star DT Chris Jones' holdout is going to last into the 2023 NFL season.
Many have considered the financial implications of the holdout and they don't quite understand the benefit to Jones missing regular season games. The reality of the situation is quite simple really. Missing games is a means to remind the Chiefs' brass how important Jones is to the team. This is likely the last big payday that the 29-year-old is getting in his NFL career, so he and his agents want to ensure the new deal signed is the best possible deal they can get.
The problem with missing games is that it's incredibly risky. Jones is very much so betting on himself, but in doing so he's also betting against Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes and the rest of his teammates. History tells us that bet might not pay off.
The Chiefs have made it very clear that they're treating this situation as if Jones were injured, so it only makes sense to look at the games he's missed with injury. In games where Jones has been inactive that didn't also happen to overlap with a Patrick Mahomes injury (Week 6-8 of 2019), the Chiefs have a 4-1 overall record.
That includes the following games:
- 2019-2020 Wild Card game: Chiefs 51, Texans 31 (Calf injury)
- Week 4 of 2020: Chiefs 26, Patriots 10 (Groin injury)
- Week 5 of 2021: Bills 38, Chiefs 20 (Wrist injury)
- Week 6 of 2021: Chiefs 31, Washington 13 (Wrist injury)
- Week 15 of 2021: Chiefs 34, Chargers 28 (Illness)
Any instance that they've needed to go without Jones for a few games, Kansas City has been able to manage that outside of that Week 5 game against Buffalo. Sure, this is a different team, but they still have several pieces who contributed to a Super Bowl LVII win just eight months ago.
The defense might not look whole against the Lions on Thursday night, but it shouldn't given that Jones was a big part of their plans for this season. That's not going to cause some sort of heel turn from the Chiefs' front office as it relates to Jones. They've maintained that they hold no illusions to the type of player that he is and that they want him back. But what happens if Kansas City keeps rolling without Jones?
This could do more harm than good for the cause of getting a long-term contract extension done. Who knows if the team's original offer will even still be on the table? Should he follow through on the seven-week holdout that has been threatened, it also lowers his earning potential on the franchise tag for next season. That could increase the likelihood of a tag-and-trade scenario, and who knows what his value will look like after this debacle.
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Featured image via Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
