Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones didn’t show up for the start of training camp. He might not be showing up any time soon.
There’s a belief in some circles that the current impasse will potentially last a long time.
The two sides are reportedly very far apart, with Jones reportedly wanting $30 million annually. He’s due to make $19.5 million in 2023, the final year of his current deal.
The Chiefs have benefited from the presence of happily underpaid key players on offense, most notably quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce. Jones doesn’t seem to be willing to play the discount game.
From the team’s perspective, this one is believed to go all the way up to ownership, with Clark Hunt calling the shots. Whether he’ll approve a package that gets Jones close to where he wants to be remains to be seen.
For now, though, it’s believed that nothing will be happening. Which likely means a deal is coming today.
At the other end of the spectrum is a potential trade, if/when Jones asks for one and if/when the Chiefs agree to do it — and if/when they find a partner. It happened last year with receiver Tyreek Hill.
But the Chiefs were able to make the passing game work without Hill. It would be much harder to make the defense work without Jones.