Star defensive lineman Chris Jones remains at a standstill in his negotiations with the Kansas City Chiefs on a contract extension that would keep him in Western Missouri after the 2023 season.
Already the second-highest-paid player on the team behind reigning MVP Patrick Mahomes, Jones is looking for a significant raise and guarantees that Chiefs general manager Brett Veach seems unwilling to give him.
In yet another act of social media cryptography, Jones took to Instagram on Thursday to share a message that is sure to scare Kansas City’s fans as his holdout from training camp continues.
This was just posted on Chris Jones' Instagram story đź«Ł #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/wXrL8McIDX
— Sports Radio 810 WHB (@SportsRadio810) August 3, 2023
The post consisted of a screenshot that contained lyrics from a song by popular rapper Kevin Gates titled “Walls Talking”, which may not be appropriate for all listeners. Jones made a point to pause the tune to emphasize one line of words that reads: “Guess all good things must come to an end”.
Clearly, Jones was looking to draw a reaction out of the team’s fans, though what he hopes to accomplish with this strategy beyond generating angst throughout Chiefs Kingdom is unclear. Is he looking to get fans to start a petition for his extension? Or to fly a banner over training camp a la the “Fire Pioli, Bench Cassel” incident in the late 2000s?
At this point, it is hard to say, though one fact remains abundantly clear: Jones is willing to go to any length to prove whatever point he intends to make in his contract negotiations. He has effectively de-prioritized the Chiefs’ pursuit of another Super Bowl ring in favor of social media gamesmanship while he bargains for more money.
Fans in Kansas City can expect these shenanigans to continue until he can no longer afford the fines he is incurring as a result of his holdout, which are accruing at a rate of $50,000 a day.