The Kansas City Chiefs and star defensive tackle Chris Jones have been in contract negotiations for weeks, with the two sides trying to get a deal done as soon as possible in order to avoid the All-Pro missing time during the 2023 NFL regular season.
Unfortunately, the Chiefs and Jones could not see eye-to-eye on a new deal before their Thursday night showdown with the Detroit Lions, which didn’t have a favorable result for the defending Super Bowl champions.
The Chiefs lost that game against the Lions, with Jones and star tight end Travis Kelce (knee injury) missing the contest.
Although Kelce’s status is still up in the air as there has been no set timetable for his return to the field, it appears Jones will get back to work for Week 2 in another tough matchup as they’ll go on the road to face Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Jones has ended his holdout with the Chiefs.
Chris Jones still has one year left on his deal with the Chiefs, no new years were added to his contract, but he received multiple incentives to earn considerably more money this season, per sources. https://t.co/BTGEcHDWzn pic.twitter.com/dJUIEn8GH6
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 11, 2023
Obviously, this is great news for the Chiefs as they’ll get arguably their best defensive player back on the field for another crucial game against a formidable opponent.
The added pressure on Lawrence, with Jones coming after him on every snap, definitely improves the Chiefs’ chances of winning and bouncing back from the season-opening loss to the Lions.
Although it was the offense more than the defense that struggled in Week 1, adding Jones back into the mix definitely helps the team as Patrick Mahomes and company try to repeat as Super Bowl champions.
NEXT: Insider Gives An Update On Travis Kelce’s Recovery Process
