Chris Jones Claims “He’ll Be Back” With Chiefs, L’Jarius Sneed Has Message For Brett Veach…..
Chris Jones, a defensive tackle for the Chiefs, used all of his leverage early in the 2023 campaign, missing every practice and game of the preseason before missing the regular-season finale. He used a different tack on Wednesday, publicly declaring that he will return to the Chiefs in 2024, even though his contract has expired.
Jones’s precise statement that he will return this year, next year, and the year after that contributed to the impression that a choice has been taken. It implies that negotiations are underway for a three-year contract and that a conclusion may be imminent.
A person with knowledge of the matter has stated that an agreement is anticipated “no time soon.”
The first step will be whether the Chiefs apply the franchise tag to Jones. With his 2023 cap number at $26.808 million, it would cost the Chiefs $32.16 million for a one-year deal. If they tag him and hope to sign him to a long-term deal, $32.16 million becomes the starting point.
If he isn’t tagged, he gets a ticket to free agency. He would be one of the top available free agents. Other teams (like, say, the Chargers and new coach Jim Harbaugh) might overpay Jones in order to both get him away from the Chiefs and to add him to a defense that will try to stop the Chiefs.
Will he take less than he can get elsewhere to stay in Kansas City? That’s for Jones to decide. There’s a natural allure to the potential for winning a third straight Super Bowl. But this is his last chance to maximize his revenue. Why should he take less than he can get? The owners never, ever do.
“Obviously, it’s a sucky feeling,” Purdy told reporters on Monday. “But I’m also trying to have the perspective of, ‘Alright, this is happening for a reason, you know. It’s all part of our stories and testimonies.’ So, that’s sort of the hope I have for [the Super Bowl LVIII loss]. More than anything, [I’m] just being grateful for the kind of season we had with the guys in this locker room, this team, this organization. We got to the Super Bowl, we went to overtime and fell short of [winning]. It sucks. We wanted it, we gave our all this year.
“But man, I had the opportunity to do it with some very good people, and I’m thankful for that.”
