Chris Jones is not going anywhere and remains a part of ‘Chiefs Kingdom’.
On Saturday night, less than two days before teams could begin the legal tampering process, negotiating with impending free agents, Jones and the Chiefs agreed to a five-year contract that includes $95 million guaranteed, a source with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not permitted to publicize financial terms of the deal.
The hard and fast details are still being hammered out, however, Jones will ink a five-year contract in which all the money in the initial three seasons, $95 million, is guaranteed. Once the contract is signed, Jones will reset the market, having the highest-ever average annual salary for a defensive tackle, surpassing those of Nick Bosa with the San Francisco 49ers ($34 million), Los Angeles Rams Aaron Donald ($31.6M), T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers ($28M) and Los Angeles Chargers Joey Bosa ($27M).
Embed from Getty ImagesJones’ guaranteed $95 million would be the fourth-most guaranteed money for a defensive player on a current contract, according to Roster Management System. The top three are Nick Bosa ($119.9M), Joey Bosa ($102M) and Myles Garrett ($102M).
Jones seemed to confirm the news on social media shortly after writing on X, formerly known as Twitter: “KC….5 more years of greatness! 3x”
The star defensive tackle made his plans for the future well known during the Chiefs’ Super Bowl 58 parade that he wanted to remain in Kansas City.
Alongside the Rams’ Aaron Donald, Jones is widely thought of and respected as one of the two best interior defensive linemen in the NFL today. He has topped the Chiefs when it comes to getting home to the quarterback for six consecutive seasons. In 2023, his 10 ½ sacks were tied for a team high even though he missed the season opener against the Detroit Lions due to a contract impasse.
Jones has been a mainstay and a foundational piece on the Chiefs during their rein atop the AFC West and dynasty. The Chiefs have won the AFC West eight consecutive times, the second-longest division winning streak in NFL history. Kansas City also has won a trio of Super Bowls in the span of five seasons, including back-to-back championships.
Jones has earned first-team All-Pro nods for two consecutive years and been selected to the Pro Bowl five times in his career. He has accumulated 273 tackles, 75 ½ sacks, 78 tackles for loss and 37 pass deflections in 123 career regular-season games.
The Chiefs originally selected Jones in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft.
