During the NFL Scouting Combine, Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said the contracts of Frank Clark and Chris Jones were ones he’d look to address ahead of free agency.
Clark was eventually released last week. So where does that leave Jones?
Ahead of the start of the NFL’s negotiating window opening Monday at noon ET, Jones responded to a tweet questioning his future:
“I’m a Chief for life. I will not play for another franchise,” he wrote.
That’s a pretty matter-of-fact response from the two-time Super Bowl champ. But the question about when an extension might get done will linger.
The 28-year-old Jones enters the final year of the four-year, $80 million contract inked in July 2020. He’s set to earn $19.5 million in base salary with no guaranteed money left. Jones carries a $28.291 million salary cap number heading into the 2023 season.
Jones’ tweet came down before Washington agreed to terms on a massive new deal with Daron Payne worth $90 million over four years on Sunday. That deal could impact any extension the Chiefs get done with Jones.
Veach has made moves to get the Chiefs under the cap before the new league year, including cutting Clark. K.C. could open up more with a Jones extension that locks down the star DT for years to come and lowers his current cap hit.