The Chiefs have a number of key decisions to make in their attempt to retain as many core pieces of their Super Bowl winning roster as possible. That will likely include moves to retain their two most expensive defenders in place beyond the coming season.
Both defensive tackle Chris Jones and edge rusher Frank Clark are under contract for the 2023-24 NFL season. However, their deals are each scheduled to carry cap hits over $28MM, which would be a significant obstacle to the team’s other priorities, such as a long-term deal for left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. New contracts (rather than restructures) for both Jones and Clark could thus be mutually beneficial for team and player.
“The good thing for us is that we have these strong connections with these players that have played here a long time,” general manager Brett Veach said on the subject this week, via Nate Taylor of 'The Athletic.' "They love being here. That’s a good starting point for us.”
Jones figures to be a higher priority from the Chiefs’ perspective, but working out a new deal with the 28-year-old won’t be a simple matter. Per Taylor, Jones is seeking a contract which will make him “at least” the second-highest paid interior defensive lineman in the league, behind only Aaron Donald. The latter agreed to a massive restructure last offseason, bringing his average annual compensation over $31.6MM. Jones currently sits at $20MM in that regard, which trails Donald, DeForest Buckner and Leonard Williams.
On the field for the defending champs this past season, Jones matched his career-best mark with 15.5 sacks and set new personal highs in tackles with 44 and playing time with an 80% snap share. The former second-rounder earned a First-Team All-Pro nod, along with a fourth consecutive season of Pro Bowl recognition for the fourth straight season. A deal flattening Jones' 2023 cap hit would pay dividends, of course, but his continued production could leave the Chiefs in a similar situation to that which they faced with wideout Tyreek Hill last year. The latter’s contract demands led the team to trade him, a deal which allowed them to divert resources elsewhere on the roster.
For his part, Clark re-worked his contract last offseason, something which came as a surprise given the expectation that he would be destined to leave in free agency. Taylor notes that a release prior to free agency is a consideration for the team to save much-needed cap space. A March cut would lead to $21MM in savings and a dead cap hit of $7.6MM. Veach stressed his desire to talk with Clark’s agents in the hopes of finalizing an extension before that becomes necessary, though, adding that Kansas City would remain interested in re-signing the 29-year-old stalwart if he were to be cut and allowed to test the open market.
The Chiefs still have work to do to become cap compliant, something which will become more difficult upcoming assuming a second franchise tag is placed on Brown. Extensions for at least one of Jones or Clark would grant Kansas City the flexibility to afford a multi-year Brown deal while keeping the team’s defensive leaders in place for at least the intermediate future.
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