Chris Jones, Chiefs Agree to New 1-Year Contract Ahead of Jaguars Game

The Kansas City Chiefs will be getting their defensive centerpieces back after agreeing to a new one-year contract with Chris Jones.

Financial terms were not immediately disclosed. However, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Jones' contract now includes incentives that will give him a chance to earn "considerably more money":

Jones sat out Kansas City's season-opening loss to the Detroit Lions last week. After reaching an agreement, it's possible Jones could be on the field for Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Speaking to reporters in June, general manager Brett Veach remained optimistic about the four-time Pro Bowler sticking around for the long haul.

However, the level of angst began to grow when Jones indicated he might be willing to carry his holdout into Week 8 of the regular season.

Some wondered whether he was prepared to follow through and forfeit multiple game checks when he had already accrued a sizable chunk of fines for missing training camp.

The Chiefs were willing to draw a line in the sand on Tyreek Hill last offseason by trading him to the Miami Dolphins instead of giving him a new market-level contract. It stood to reason they might adopt the same tactic with another one of their key veterans.

The Kansas City Star's Sam McDowell made the case for why Hill and Jones weren't parallel situations.

Jones totaled 15.5 sacks in 2022, matching his career high, and recorded 29 quarterback hits. He was a terror in the team's AFC title game victory over Cincinnati Bengals, getting to Joe Burrow twice and regularly harassing the Bengals QB in the pocket.

Beyond what Jones does on his own, McDowell highlighted how his presence positively affects the entire defensive line:

"No defensive lineman in football was double-teamed more frequently last season than Jones, who matched up against more than one defender on two-thirds of his snaps, per NFL Next Gen Stats. And guess what? He led the league in pass rush win rate anyway. [...]

"You can't simply look at Jones' statistics to measure his true impact. There's a reason Frank Clark, George Karlaftis, Mike Danna and Carlos Dunlap could combine for 27 sacks on the edges — the opposition's offensive line had their attention on someone else. The edge-rushers were left with the most favorable matchups on the field."

And while a long-term deal hasn't gotten done, Jones will at least be back in the mix now.

If there is not a no-tag clause as part of the agreement, Kansas City will still have the franchise tag in its back pocket for 2024. While it would be an expensive short-term venture, it could buy more time to negotiate a new contract or explore trade avenues.

With Monday's agreement, Jones and the team can put the issue in their rear-view mirror—for now.