AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann, File
Kansas City Chiefs superstar defensive tackle Chris Jones has held out for all of training camp in hopes of landing a lucrative new contract, but that has not come to fruition just yet with the regular season opener against the Detroit Lions looming on Sept. 7.
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach is “hopeful,” however, that Jones will be signed before the season begins. He spoke with reporters on Wednesday (h/t Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk).
“Certainly hopeful for that,” Veach said, via video from the team. “We have been in communication, actually just in the last two days we’ve been in more communication. We’re going to continue to press on and work hard. A lot of respect on both sides of this thing. It’s been well stated how we feel about Chris, and he feels the same way. Again, we’re just going to keep working on this thing. We’re looking forward to next Thursday and hopefully he’s in the lineup, and he’s ready to go.”
Jones, a four-time All-Pro, has been the anchor of the Chiefs’ defense and a key reason why the team has made five AFC Championship Game appearances from 2018-2022, winning three conference titles and two Super Bowls along the way. He just amassed 15.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and 17 tackles for loss.
He is entering the last season of a four-year, $80 million contract and has said that he wants to be a “Chief for life.”
However, Jones has also said he’s willing to extend his holdout until Week 8.
We’ll soon find out if Jones suits up for Kansas City, but it’s certainly unsettling to see the two sides fail to reach an agreement with the opener just eight days away. Jones very well could continue this holdout into the regular season, meaning the Chiefs will be without the heartbeat of its defense for an undetermined amount of time.
There’s still hope, as Veach noted, that something could get done as the Chiefs look toward the possibility of a dynasty with their third Super Bowl win in five years.
