The Kansas City Chiefs are projected to once again be Super Bowl contenders and for good reason as the reigning champions have most of their roster returning for the 2023 season.
The Chiefs will always be in contention as long as they have Patrick Mahomes as their quarterback, but the defense has also come around in recent seasons.
For a while, Kansas City was simply able to outscore opponents but the defense has stepped up and been able to hold their own as well.
A large reason for that shift is Chris Jones who was the best defensive lineman last year.
Jones was a one-man wrecking crew most weeks as he was a terror getting to the quarterback and causing havoc in the backfield.
Although Jones has been waiting for a new deal from the Chiefs over the offseason it appears that the two sides could be coming close to an agreement via Albert Breer of the MMQB.
This actually tells me there's a deal to be done. KC getting Jones $74M over the first 3 years outpaces Payne ($67.59M), Simmons ($60.58M), Lawrence ($58.75M) & Williams ($58.43M). And $54.5M over 2 is close to bridging the AD/Everyone else gap.
Both sides = now in the middle. https://t.co/a2QGRAQvl4
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) September 2, 2023
Jones is entering the final year of the four-year contract he signed with Kansas City back in 2020 and is understandably looking for a raise after his performance last season.
As Breer mentions, several other defensive tackles got paid this offseason and the Chiefs are seemingly trying to stay within that range.
Up to this point, Jones has been away from the team as they continue to try and work out a contract that makes sense for both sides but it appears he is willing to forego playing.
If the Chiefs are smart, they’ll up the offer because Jones means that much to their defense.
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