Report Doubles Down on Expectation for KC Chiefs DT Chris Jones Franchise Tag Outcome

Kansas City can soon franchise tag Chris Jones, but a recent report confirms that folks may not want to count on it.

The 2024 NFL offseason is off and running, albeit still in its early stages some week-plus removed from Super Bowl LVIII. The Kansas City Chiefs have less of a head start than most of their league counterparts, so every day is important for general manager Brett Veach and company moving forward.

One pressing situation to sort out is the contract status of All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones. After his holdout last summer, Jones returned on a new one-year deal that expired at the end of the season. Kansas City picked up an option on his contract late last week, although that move was nothing more than a formality to get him some incentive money that was due anyway.

Entering a new week, the Chiefs retain the right to apply the franchise or transition tag on one designated player who's slated to become an unrestricted free agent. Beginning on Feb. 21 and lasting through March 5, Jones is eligible to be franchise-tagged at a projected value of just over $32 million for the 2024-25 campaign. In recent weeks, though, the common expectation has been that the team wouldn't pick that avenue due to the massive salary cap ramifications of it. A Sunday tweet from Adam Schefter of ESPN seemed to confirm what many already thought.  

"Due to his 2023 cap number, Chiefs DL Chris Jones' projected franchise tag would be $32 million - instead of the regular $19.7M - making him an unlikely tag candidate," Schefter said. 

Due to his 2023 cap number, Chiefs DL Chris Jones' projected franchise tag would be $32 million - instead of the regular $19.7M - making him an unlikely tag candidate. https://t.co/0bLVyZZgsm

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 18, 2024

The $19.7M figure Schefter mentioned — the normal expected tag amount for a defensive tackle — would be much more palatable for the Chiefs. Because Jones was making so much in 2023, however, he doesn't qualify for that total. The franchise tag amount is either the average of the five highest-paid players at the position or a 120% increase over the player's previous salary number, whichever is higher. For Jones, that $32M approximation is a ticket to a major one-year payday and a serious obstacle for the Chiefs to work around.

There are some benefits to using the franchise tag. For example, Kansas City placing it on Jones would prohibit him from entering free agency when the new league year begins on March 13. In that scenario, the team could negotiate exclusively with him and ensure that he'd be slated to play for them next season. The flip side, of course, is the serious cap charge that would make other acquisitions extremely difficult to process. For that reason, it's hard to see the Chiefs tagging Jones, even if they're confident in their ability to eventually retain him.

That $32M also makes it challenging to see a tag-and-trade scenario unfolding. The most likely development is for the Chiefs and Jones's camp to potentially discuss a long-term deal or for the team to simply allow its star pass rusher to hit free agency. Despite the strong and positive words Jones had to say at the club's Super Bowl championship parade and rally, one thing is becoming more and more obvious: don't expect a franchise tag to be used on him.

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