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As the Kansas City Chiefs' contract stalemate with star defensive tackle Chris Jones continues, it's becoming increasingly clear what the team won't do in discussions with the All-Pro. Jones, per multiple NFL rumors, wants to be the highest-paid defensive tackle, which would net him more than the $31.6 million that the Los Angeles Rams pay Aaron Donald annually. The Chiefs are ‘unwilling‘ to make Jones the highest-paid defensive tackle in the league, sources told Nate Taylor of The Athletic.
“The Chiefs, according to a league source, are unwilling to make Jones the league’s highest-paid defensive tackle.”
Jones, coming off of a 15.5-sack season, All-Pro honors and a standout postseason in the Chiefs' Super Bowl run and victory, wants the team to back up the Brinks truck.
Jones has made his intentions clear, as he skipped minicamp earlier this offseason and has yet to report to Chiefs training camp as contract talks continue.
All the while, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach has maintained an optimistic outlook on the Jones contract, most recently indicating that he feels the star defender “deserves a big contract” and that the team just has to work through “some hurdles.”
Veach made it clear that a trade of Jones is not in the team's plans. Jones certainly gave some Chiefs fans a scare on Tuesday when he sent out a cryptic tweet that read, “KC… I love you.”
Many fans either interpreted that as a very good- or bad- sign, yet there's been no word out of Kansas City on any movement regarding the Jones deal.
Jones' training camp absence has been costly, as he will have accrued $1.4 million in fines if his holdout continues up until the team's final training camp practice on August 17. Jones will also face a mandatory $50,000 fine each day if his absence continues after camp, per the new collective bargaining agreement.
