Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones is expected to be the most coveted player in free agency after the franchise opted against using the franchise tag on the two-time First-Team All-Pro selection.
Jones, for good reason, will see a robust market if Chiefs general manager Brett Veach can’t come to an accord on a long-term contract before free agency gets underway on March 13.
This past season, alone, Jones was as disruptive an interior force as there was along any defensive line in the NFL, finishing with 10.5 sacks and 30 total tackles.
Spotrac projects that Jones could fetch a three-year contract, worth $85 million, and averaging out to $28.4 million, annually, beginning with the 2024 campaign. That deal would make Jones the second-highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL.
Kansas City Chiefs Hope to Re-Sign Chris Jones
The Kansas City Chiefs opted to use the franchise tag on star and ascending cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, possibly as a placeholder for a possible trade.
After tagging Sneed, the Chiefs have just $9.6 million in cap space this offseason, which could make re-signing Jones difficult.
However, Veach still believes bringing Jones back is a top priority.
“Sometimes I look at our situation and I’m like, ‘I don’t know how we’re going to do this,’ but we usually work through things systematically and have a list of the priorities,” Veach said via ESPN. “Certainly, Chris and LJ are at the top of the list. It’s extremely hard because you have two keystone players there.”
Jones showed his value to the Chiefs in 2023, and since arriving on the scene 2016 has produced 273 total tackles with 75.5 sacks and two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown.
Whether the Kansas City Chiefs are able to pull off the kind of moves necessary to fit a long-term contract for Jones under the cap remains to be seen, but it is clear the 29-year-old is about to reach a substantial payday.
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