New Chris Jones Contract Is an Awkward End to an Awkward Process
The Kansas City Chiefs and star defensive tackle Chris Jones may have arrived at an amicable resolution, but this was still far from the ideal end of the road for either side.
For Jones, under a new one-year deal with the team, he technically does receive a potential raise over his previous maximum 2023 earnings of $21.25 million. If he hits incentive benchmarks such as playing 30% and 50% of available snaps, reaching the 10- and 15-sack marks and getting to the pinnacles of individual and team success (All-Pro, Super Bowl), he'll be in line to see an estimated $1.8M pay bump. When factoring in what he's already lost due to fines and what would effectively be rolled over to 2024, however, things don't look quite as peachy:
That also doesn't take into account two additional elements: what Jones reportedly left on the table and how things got to this point.
Earlier this month, the Chiefs' alleged contract offer to Jones was leaked. A two-year, $54.5M pact would've given him a hefty average of $27.25 per year while also fully guaranteeing his earnings for both seasons. It's possible that the 29-year-old still averages out to that much if he hits his incentive benchmarks in 2023 and either plays on the franchise tag or inks a lucrative long-term deal next year, but it's a calculated risk on his behalf to bet on himself in this fashion.
By taking the revised one-year contract, Jones is under immense pressure to perform. Even if he meets his likely-to-be-earned (LTBE) incentives, the not-likely-to-be-earned (NLTBE) listing is his meal ticket to serious financial gain. After skipping out on Kansas City's entire offseason program, training camp, preseason and first regular-season game, he must step in and produce at an all-world level pretty much immediately. The pressure isn't just for him to help his 2023 contract prospects — it's for him to boost his long-term viability as a mega-earnings candidate for either the Chiefs or another team as he continues to age.
On the team-oriented side, the franchise's messaging dating all the way back to this spring was that a Jones extension would be prioritized and that the end goal was to keep him in a Chiefs uniform for years to come. While general manager Brett Veach and company did avoid Jones's camp forcing their hand with a no-franchise tag clause, a world with Jones in Kansas City post-2023 doesn't seem a whole lot closer. At the core of this — Jones has consistently expressed his desire to retire a Chief — both ends failed to secure what they seemingly wanted to achieve in the bigger picture. The team's failure to get the Jones situation resolved sooner also likely placed a hold on other options.
Under the (assumed) direction of his agents, Katz Brothers Sports, Jones missed an entire offseason of work with his team and didn't get a multi-year deal done. Instead, he got a last-ditch opportunity to recoup what he'd lost by following that plan and now must replicate his 2022 season in order to set himself up for things to ultimately be worth it. Once the holdout started dragging into Week 1 (and, honestly, at multiple points along the way), it became quite apparent that something was off in regard to the leverage play(s). This gets Jones the possible raise he wanted, but at what cost?
Getting their best defensive player back in the fold is undoubtedly a win for the Chiefs, as is maintaining that aforementioned incentive structure and having the option of a franchise tag next year. With that said, Jones's salary will soon be back to counting against the team's cap and Kansas City is now tasked with creating enough space to move forward with. The timing and nature of this situation place an expedited timeline on financial decisions and throw another fork in short-team plans. Subsequent ramifications could impact the next season or two.
Kudos to Jones for having a new ceiling for his earning potential. Kudos to the Chiefs for being a better team now and maximizing their 2023-24 championship window. Both parties involved have a chance to get what their broader goal is (winning or money) this season. At the end of the day, though, this wasn't supposed to be about this season. The entire process was supposed to be centered around ensuring that Jones and Kansas City could enjoy a fruitful partnership for two, three or four more years. While there is still a chance that a future-based process is birthed here, the end of an awkward fumbling of the situation doesn't bode too well for anyone.
