NFL free agency is right around the corner, and there are going to be some big names that get paid this offseason. Arguably the best player available out of the bunch is Kansas City Chiefs star defensive lineman Chris Jones, who has been trying to get a long-term deal from the Chiefs for months. Now, he's just a few days away from hitting the open market and potentially finding a new home.
Jones has become one of the most dominant interior lineman over the past few years, and he had another strong year in 2023 for Kansas City (30 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 13 TFL, 29 QB Hits, 4 PD). The Chiefs have won three Super Bowls over the past five seasons, and Jones' emergence into a full-fledged superstar has played a big role in their success.
KC wants to keep Jones in town, and Jones wants to stay, but it remains to be seen whether the two sides will be able to get a deal done before free agency starts. There's a chance they could reach a new deal before free agency opens, but if that doesn't happen, let's take a look at the three best landing spots for the superstar defender this offseason.
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a team on the rise in the NFL right now, and while their offense is spectacular, their defense could use some work this offseason. Their secondary is certainly a bigger area of need, but there's no way they could pass up the opportunity to add Chris Jones to their defensive line if he ends up hitting the open market.
The Lions have a star pass rusher in Aidan Hutchinson already, and while the team racked up a total of 41 sacks in 2023, the next closest guy behind Hutchinson and his 11.5 sacks was Alim McNeil with five. Detroit excelled in generating pressure with an array of complex secondary blitzes to help make up for this, but they need their coverage guys to focus more on coverage and less on blitzing moving forward.
Pairing up Jones and Hutchinson would create nightmares for opposing offenses, as Jones regularly commands double teams, which would free up tons of space for Hutchinson and company that would improve their pass rush even more. It will cost Detroit a lot of money, but if Jones leaves the Chiefs, the Lions might just be the best team for him.
Houston Texans
Similar to the Lions, the Houston Texans are one of the top up-and-coming teams in the league. C.J. Stroud ushered in a new era for the Texans, and while the 2023 campaign was encouraging, the team needs to add some talent this offseason, particularly on defense. That's where Chris Jones can come in and help, and he could end up being the missing piece for Houston on that side of the ball.
Houston had four guys rack up five or more sacks in 2023, but their leader in Jonathan Greenard, who had 12.5, could be on his way out the door in free agency. Greenard is a solid player, but he doesn't have the track record of success that Jones has. If you are going to pay a premium for a pass rusher, Jones should be your guy.
Jones would join a pass rush led by a budding second-year star in Will Anderson Jr., and after an impressive rookie campaign, pairing him up with Jones could be a truly dangerous proposition. Houston could solve a lot of issues by adding Jones, and it would make a lot of sense for them to pursue him in free agency.
Kansas City Chiefs
Of course, the best landing spot for Chris Jones is still the Chiefs. Even though they have different opinions on his value when it comes to his contract status, it's clear that the scheme they employ is perfect for him, and you can make a case that for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era, the defense was better than the team's offense in 2023.
Jones is integral to what Kansas City does on that side of the ball, and losing him would be catastrophic. Jones is a commanding force against both the run and the pass, which opens things up for the rest of his teammates. Without Jones, the team would not have nearly as much success in the trenches.
For Jones himself, he could test the waters and go somewhere else, but there's really no reason for him to leave the Chiefs. They are a proven dynasty at this point, and they have gone on to replace other key players without missing a beat. Replacing him would probably be the toughest task of them all for this team, but it shouldn't come to that, as Kansas City's front office should do whatever it takes to re-sign him this offseason.
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