The Kansas City Chiefs are waiting to extend star defensive end Chris Jones, which could turn out to be a mistake.
The Chiefs are reportedly waiting until after the NFL Draft to sign Chris Jones to a contract extension, despite the fact he’s made it clear he wants to stay in Kansas City long-term.
Considering all the contract disputes gone wrong around the NFL, Kansas City should not risk the same happening with a player like Jones. The star defensive end had 15.5 sacks last season, which tied a career high.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer first reported that Brett Veach and Co. weren’t making Jones a priority:
“I think this negotiation, like a lot of them, is probably back-burnered until after the draft. I could still see the Chiefs adding a veteran receiver over the next couple of weeks, and there could be an extra need or two to be addressed coming out of the draft, and all of that can affect how you’d structure a big deal like Jones’s promises to be.”
Are Chiefs making a mistake with Chris Jones?
While the timing does make sense, Kansas City has to make sure they’re on the same page with Jones, a player they’ve come to rely upon the last few seasons. Matt Conner of Arrowhead Addict revealed how this could all come back to haunt KC.
“The one risk to waiting at this stage is about how far the market might jump, but it’s possible the Chiefs aren’t really worried about that. However, the asking price for the NFL’s best defensive tackles will rise with Dexter Lawrence, Quinnen Williams, and Christian Wilkins all due extensions, too.”
If the price goes up, Veach and the Chiefs front office will need to jump through some hoops in their usual salary cap gymnastics.
