Agent: Cardinals Only Offered OLB Chandler Jones A One-Year Extension This Summer

The agent for Cardinals OLB Chandler Jones, Ethan Lock, tells Jason La Canfora that Arizona has not seriously negotiated to extend his client. 

Lock says he has been trying to get a new deal for Jones since the end of the 2019 season. In the 18 months since then, the two sides have never had formal talks and the Cardinals made just one offer to Jones. 

That offer was a one-year extension that included just $4.5 million guaranteed, a $14 million base salary and $1.5 million in incentives if Jones recorded 15 sacks. 

That’s less than Jones’ scheduled $15.5 million base salary for 2021 and far below the $25-$28 million top edge rushers currently make. Jones is one of the most prolific sack artists in the league and took down the opposing quarterback five times in Week 1. 

“The July 21 offer, the only one they have made to date, was rejected without hesitation,” Lock said. “Since then, I have read that the parties are continuing to talk about an extension – that is incorrect. There have been no talks. None. In fact, the Cardinals have not engaged in any meaningful negotiations about extending Chandler during this entire period.”

Jones requested a trade this offseason in obviously understandable frustration about his status with the team. 

Jones, 31, is a former first-round pick of the Patriots back in 2012. He played out his four-year, $8.173 million contract before the Patriots picked up his fifth-year option back in April of 2015.

The Patriots elected to trade Jones to the Cardinals in 2016 for G Jonathan Cooper and a 2016 second-round pick. Arizona franchise-tagged Jones before signing him to a five-year, $82.5 million deal. 

Jones is set to make a base salary of $15.5 million in 2021.

In 2021, Jones has appeared in one game for the Cardinals and recorded six total tackles, five sacks and two forced fumbles.