NFL Rumors: Chiefs 'Adamant' Chris Jones Won't Be Traded amid Contract Holdout

The Kansas City Chiefs aren't looking to trade Chris Jones as the star defensive tackle continues to hold out for a long-term extension, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Fowler reported Sunday on SportsCenter that Kansas City has signaled to other teams it's "adamant" in its opposition to a trade involving the four-time Pro Bowler. Instead, the Chiefs are increasingly preparing for the possibility his holdout carries on past Week 1.

"I talked to somebody with the team who said it feels like this is going to drag on even longer, maybe even into the season," Fowler said. "The Chiefs certainly don't want that but neither side appears ready to move on contract talks. ... So, questions being asked there at Chiefs headquarters like, 'Hey, can we get through the early part of the season without Jones at this point knowing that we need him eventually to make that Super Bowl run?'"

Jones has indicated on social media he's prepared it sit out until Week 8.

It remains to be seen whether he's actually prepared to sit out that long. The 29-year-old received a $50,000 fine for each day of training camp he missed, and then he'd forfeit around $1.1 million per game check for each week of the regular season he's unavailable.

Even with a big payday forthcoming at some point, Jones would be costing himself a lot of money.

Despite the absence of an agreement between the Chiefs and Jones, it doesn't appear their relationship has broken down to the point where a reconciliation is impossible. Granted, the situation isn't in a great place at the moment.

For Kansas City, trading Jones should be considered a last resort because having him on the roster will help its Super Bowl title defense far more than whatever return from the deal it could reasonably get. Even in the worst-case scenario where he holds out until Week 8, the 2022 All-Pro would still suit for 10 games and the postseason.

The time to entertain a trade was before the draft, when general manager Brett Veach could've at least used the draft compensation to fortify the defensive line. That was a luxury the front office had when it dealt Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins somewhat early into the 2022 offseason.

With the regular season a little over a week away, Veach has little choice but to stay the course and hope he can make a breakthrough with Jones' representatives at the bargaining table.