Chiefs GM: Chris Jones Contract 'Certainly' Will Be Discussed Ahead of Deadline

Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said the team plans to negotiate a long-term contract with defensive tackle Chris Jones ahead of the franchise deadline. 

"We know how talented Chris is and I think the franchise tag speaks for it, and we also have a lot of time," Veach told reporters Thursday. "I mean, I think the deadline to get a deal done is July 15, so there's a lot of time to continue the dialogue and to work on something with Chris. We certainly are going to work to maintain him not just for next year, but for the future."

Jones will make $16.1 million on the franchise tag next season if he and the Chiefs are unable to reach a long-term deal by July 15. It was clear in a February interview with Fox Sports' Colin Cowherd that Jones didn't much appreciate the tag. 

"It's like a mix of emotions," Jones said. "Because you figure, you know, after four years, you do everything the right way, within the team way, you try to stay under the line, out of trouble, and be a good citizen for a team and for the city, you expect to be rewarded. So you know when you're hit with the franchise tag, it can go different ways. You can feel like they're not valuing you or they're not valuing what you bring to the table or you can look at it as giving them time to get their horses in a cage and get something together."

Jones admitted said there were some "hard feelings" regarding the tag, though Veach's comments may reassure him. The interview made it clear that Jones' beef was with the Chiefs for not rewarding him with a long-term deal—not any real desire to test the market. 

"It would be nice to get paid in Kansas City and stay with Mahomes and what they're building over there—what we're building—is exceptional," Jones said. "I feel like we're building a dynasty. And for Brett Veach it's about looking at the team [and] analyzing what you can lose and what you have to keep."

Jones recorded 36 tackles and nine sacks in 2019, earning his first Pro Bowl berth and playing through injury as the Chiefs took home Super Bowl LIV. He's been one of the most vital players on the Kansas City defense since being taken in the second round in 2016. Pro Football Focus gave him an elite 86.3 grade for the 2019 season.

The concern with keeping Jones is almost entirely cap related. Kansas City will, either this offseason or next, make Patrick Mahomes the highest-paid player in NFL history. With big contracts already on the books for Frank Clark and Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs are soon in danger of becoming a top-heavy team that needs to trim depth elsewhere.

Trading Clark this offseason, while painful, would have been an avenue to prolonging that process.