While extension talks for Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes are underway, it seems like extension talks for DT Chris Jones are at a standstill.
According to a new report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, there hasn’t been much traction on either side regarding a contract extension for Jones. Fowler’s report notes that Jones has remained in touch with the team throughout virtual meetings, which stands to reason as Andy Reid has reported 100% attendance in the Chiefs’ virtual offseason program.
The Chiefs placed the franchise tag on Jones back in mid-March and he hasn’t yet signed his franchise tag tender. The team has until July 15 to agree to terms with Jones on a contract extension, otherwise, he’ll have to play on the tag in 2020.
While Chris Jones hasn't signed his franchise tender, he's kept in touch with the Chiefs as they hold virtual meetings, I'm told. Not much traction on contract front but both sides have until July 15. Market for high-end DTs is $20-plus-million per year.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) May 28, 2020
General manager Brett Veach provided an update on Jones and the extension talks during his pre-draft press conference.
”Yeah, we’ve had a lot of discussions with Chris and the Katz brothers and we continue to have that. We’ve got a lot of time,” Veach said of Jones’ extension in April. “Certainly, it’s a unique environment we’re working with, and we were able to navigate the free agency period and retain some guys. We’re going to work through the draft and we’re going to continue dialogue, but we know how talented Chris is, I think the franchise tag speaks for it.
“We also have a lot of time. I think the deadline to get a deal done is July 15. So, there’s a lot of time to continue the dialogue and to work on something with Chris, but we certainly are going to work to retain him, not just for next year, but for the future.”
Most recently we heard from Chiefs defensive line coach Brendan Daly, who didn’t provide much input on the current situation.
“Chris [Jones] and I have had a great relationship and I’ve had a couple of conversations with him over the course of the offseason here,” Daly said. “I’m not going to get into the details of that. Honestly, you know, he’s got his contract situation going on and I trust that Brett Veach and his staff are handling that side of things and I just kind of leave it there.”
Jones has a total of 33 sacks in four seasons with Kansas City. He’s been one of the most dominant interior defenders in the league during that period of time. If he were to play on the franchise tag in 2020, he’d make $16.1 million on the season.
One of the barriers currently preventing the Chiefs from agreeing to a long-term deal with Jones is their salary cap health beyond the 2020 NFL season. The uncertainty about the 2021 salary cap number amidst the coronavirus pandemic is also something to note. While there’s still over a month left of negotiation time with Jones, it’s looking like signing him to a long-term deal has become increasingly difficult.
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