Follow usThe Kansas City Chiefs, reigning Super Bowl champions, have exercised the contract option for standout defensive tackle Chris Jones, as reported by the NFL Network on Friday. This decision allows the Chiefs to retain the ability to place a franchise tag on Jones during the upcoming offseason.
Under a one-year contract inked last September, Jones earned $4.25 million in incentives, resolving a holdout that extended from training camp through Week 1 of the 2023 season. The projected franchise tag for a defensive tackle in 2024 is estimated at $19,753,000, based on the top five salaries at the position, according to Over The Cap. In the absence of a tagged deal or an agreement with the Chiefs, Jones would become a free agent in March.
A key asset for the Chiefs, the 29-year-old Jones earned first-team All-Pro honors in both 2022 and 2023 and boasts a five-time Pro Bowl selection. In the most recent season, he shared the team lead with 10.5 sacks and led in categories such as tackles for loss (13) and quarterback hits (29) across 16 games, all of which he started.
Jones, a pivotal player in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVIII overtime victory against the San Francisco 49ers last Sunday, recorded six quarterback pressures, including a crucial play on a third-and-4 that forced the 49ers to settle for a field goal.
Having spent his entire eight-year career in Kansas City after being selected in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft from Mississippi State, Jones has amassed 75.5 career sacks and 273 tackles, with 30 tackles in the most recent season alone.
In addition to Jones’ contract situation, the Chiefs also announced the extension of special teams coordinator Dave Toub’s contract. Toub, who has been with the team for 11 seasons and became assistant head coach in 2018, continues his tenure under head coach Andy Reid.
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