NFL Rumors

Chiefs GM Anticipates Extension For DT Chris Jones Closer To Training Camp

June 19, 2023

Chiefs GM Brett Veach was asked about the current status of extension talks with DT Chris Jones, who was not in attendance for the team’s mandatory minicamp last week.

Veach however did not seem worried at all and preached optimism about the two sides finding common ground at some point before the start of training camp.

“We have great communication and there’s a lot of time before camp,” Veach said via Harold R. Kuntz. “[I] feel good about where we’re going to be with Chris. We’ll get to celebrate tonight and have a good time, break tomorrow, and I’m sure we’ll have great dialogue from now to the start of training camp and look forward to Chris being here not just for next year, but for a long time.”

Veach didn’t commit to a specific timeline to get talks done but reiterated the team expects things to pick up in a month when training camp is about to start.

“Listen, we have a long history together and we have a great relationship with his agent. I mean, these things usually get worked out right before [or] right during the first start of camp so we anticipate the same, and we’ll see how it goes,” Veach said.

Jones is up for a new deal this offseason that should pay him significantly more than the $20 million a year he made on his previous deal. He’s entering the final year of that contract.

The defensive tackle market is led by Rams DT Aaron Donald at $31.67 million a year and Jones’ goal is to get as close to that as possible.

Nate Taylor, citing a team source, says the Chiefs are waiting to see if the Jets and DT Quinnen Williams get a deal done that makes Williams the second-highest-paid defensive tackle, and will then negotiate off of that.

Jones, 28, is a former second-round pick of the Chiefs back in 2016 out of Mississippi State. He played out the final year of his four-year, $6.231 million contract and made a base salary of $1.19 million in the final year of the agreement.

The Chiefs franchised Jones before eventually signing him a four-year, $85M extension that included $60 million guaranteed.

Jones is entering the final year of that deal and is set to make a base salary of $19.5 million in 2023.

In 2022, Jones appeared in all 17 games for the Chiefs and recorded 44 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 15.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, a recovery and four passes defended.

We’ll have more on the Chiefs and Jones as the news is available.