Report: Chris Jones Doesn't Report to Camp, Still 'Far Apart' with Chiefs on Contract

Contract negotiations between Chris Jones and the Kansas City Chiefs don't appear to be going well.

Jones was absent from the start of training camp on Saturday and the two sides remains "far apart" on a new deal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. For each day he misses camp, Jones will be subject to a fine of nearly $50,000, ESPN's Field Yates added.

It's no surprise Jones didn't report for the first day of training camp as Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told reporters Tuesday that he wasn't sure whether or not he would participate.

"I don't know that. I'll have to just see how that goes," Reid said, per ProFootballTalk's Myles Simmons. "I mean, there's communication going on. That's the important part. And we just have to see."

However, ESPN's Jeff Darlington (h/t ProFootballTalk's Josh Alper) reported last week on SportsCenter that Kansas City was "optimistic" about coming to an agreement with Jones and that a deal was "likely" to come before training camp.

Jones is set to enter the final year of his contract in 2023. He has a cap hit worth $28.3 million.

The 29-year-old defensive tackle is likely to receive a deal that will make him one of the highest-paid defensive tackles in football. The market for the position has boomed this offseason with players like Jeffery Simmons agreeing to a four-year, $94 million deal with the Tennessee Titans and Quinnen Williams inking a four-year, $96 million contract with the New York Jets.

Jones put together one of his best seasons in 2022, recording 15.5 sacks, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, 44 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 29 quarterback hits in 17 games.

The four-time Pro Bowler also finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season.

The Chiefs selected Jones in the second round of the 2016 draft out of Mississippi State and he figures to continue playing a significant role in the Kansas City defense for years to come.