Chris Jones Not Attendance For Start Of Training Camp

Adam Schefter reports that Chiefs DT Chris Jones was not in attendance for the start of training camp on Saturday. 

According to Schefter, the Chiefs and Jones remain “far apart” regarding a new contract. 

Jones will be subject to a mandatory fine of nearly $50,000 per day for skipping training camp. 

Back in June, Chiefs GM Brett Veach offered some optimism about the two sides finding common ground at some point before the start of training camp on a new deal. 

“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.