Chris Jones has upped the stakes in his handicap with the first week of the NFL season on the horizon.
On Tuesday, a fan on social media asked the All-Pro defensive how he was planning to return to the Kansas City Chiefs. He answered briefly: “The eighth week.”
This means that Jones is poised to miss about half of the season in search of a new deal. So he says, at least.
Disruption has become costly
If the suspension reaches that point, it means that Jones is putting a lot of the money already agreed upon at risk. He’s already racked up a hefty fine as the holdout cost him $50,000 for each day he missed training camp. Once the suspension reaches the regular season, the stakes increase exponentially.
According to the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, players under contract and extending their handicap into the regular season are Game check fined For every game missed. Jones is entering the final year of a A four-year, $80 million deal and $20 million due in 2023. That adds up to roughly $1.18 million per game. Extended beyond seven games, Jones will risk nearly $8.2 million in fines in addition to his training camp and preseason tally, which will add up to More than 1.4 million dollars.
He says he’s not worried about it.
Jones, 29, is seeking a raise after the terms of his current deal were overridden. He has taken the Pro Bowl each of the past four seasons and was a first team All-Pro in 2022 on the Chiefs’ Super Bowl winning team. He recorded a career-high 15.5 sacks last season as well as 44 tackles, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and four passes defended.
for every Nate Taylor AthleteJones seeks to be rewarded as the second-highest paid player in the league at his position behind three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald. Donald plays for a three-year, $95 million deal worth $31.67 million annually. The Athletic reports that Jones is seeking $30 million a year. The two sides remain on different pages.
The Chiefs open their Super Bowl defense in Week 1 against the Detroit Lions. During Week 7, they will face the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams. Two of those games are against teams (Jaguars, Jets) reasonably intent on challenging the Chiefs for AFC supremacy.
The sooner this matter is settled, the better for all parties involved.
