Success of the Kansas City Chiefs' rebuilt defense this season arguably hinges most on the ability of incumbent players to acclimate. No returning defender is more impactful than Chris Jones, who broke out in a big way in 2018, establishing himself as one of the most disruptive defensive linemen in the NFL. But with the Chiefs bringing rookies and quarterbacks to training camp on Tuesday and officially beginning preparations for the upcoming season in full on Friday, Jones is still without the contract extension he seeks, potentially putting him at odds with the team.
Coach Andy Reid addressed the fourth-year pro's status on Tuesday, reiterating that Kansas City indeed wants him in training camp.
“Chris Jones would be the other topic of interest, I’m sure,” Reid said, per Brooke Pryor of The Kansas City Star. “Chris, we’ll know more. Our people have talked with Chris’ people and there’s been communication there. And so, we’ll just see whether he’s here or not here. We obviously want him here, and he probably wants to be here too.
“We’ll see how all of that works out.”
Jones has spent the offseason training away from the Chiefs, missing voluntary workouts and mandatory minicamp while negotiating the parameters of a new contract with the front office. Though he's reportedly no closer to reaching an agreement with Kansas City, it's still unlikely Jones holds out of training camp past August 6 because his failure to report by that date would push his dip into free agency back by a full year.
Jones, 25, finished third in the NFL with 15 and-a-half sacks last season.
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