All-Pro Chris Jones says he’s willing to extend Chiefs holdout through Week 8
Chris Jones has upped the stakes on his holdout with Week 1 of the NFL season on the horizon.
On Tuesday, a fan on social media asked the All-Pro defensive tackle when he planned to return to the Kansas City Chiefs. He responded succinctly: "Week 8."
Week 8
— Chris Jones (@StoneColdJones) August 22, 2023
That means Jones is willing to miss almost half the season in search of a new deal. Or at least, so he says.
Holdout is getting costly
If the holdout reaches that point, Jones is putting a lot of agreed-upon money at risk. He has already racked up a hefty fine, with his holdout costing him $50,000 for each day of training camp missed. Once the holdout reaches the regular season, the stakes significantly increase.
Per the NFL's collective bargaining agreement, players under contract who extend their holdouts to the regular season are fined a game check for each game missed. Jones is entering the final year of a four-year, $80 million deal and is due $20 million in 2023. That adds up to roughly $1.18 million per game. Extended over seven games, Jones would be risking roughly $8.2 million in fines in addition to his training camp and preseason tally, which will add up to more than $1.4 million.
He says he's not worried about it.
I can afford it
— Chris Jones (@StoneColdJones) August 22, 2023
Jones, 29, is seeking a raise after outplaying the terms of his current deal. He has made the Pro Bowl each of the past four seasons and was first-team All-Pro in 2022 on a Chiefs team that won the Super Bowl. He tallied a career-high 15.5 sacks last season, in addition to 44 tackles, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and four passes defended.
Per The Athletic's Nate Taylor, Jones seeks to be rewarded as the league's second-highest paid player at his position, behind three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald. Donald is playing on a three-year, $95 million deal worth $31.67 million annually. The Athletic reports that Jones is seeking $30 million per year, but the two sides remain on different pages.
The Chiefs open their Super Bowl defense against the Detroit Lions in Week 1. Through Week 7, they'll face the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams. Two of those games are against teams (Jaguars, Jets) reasonably intent on challenging the Chiefs for AFC supremacy.
The sooner this gets settled, the better for all involved parties.
