Cardinals star Chandler Jones recently said he's focused on playing football and not his much-talked-about next contract.
Of course, this doesn't mean questions still won't be directed general manager Steve Keim's way until there's some action on that front.
Ahead of Arizona's Week 2 showdown against the Vikings, Keim was asked again about the possibility of inking Jones to a new deal. The GM expressed an interest in keeping the talented edge rusher in town.
"We're not in the business of moving on and getting rid of good football players," Keim said Friday during an appearance on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM's "Burns & Gambo" show, via the the team's website.
While his remarks may sound obvious, it certainly doesn't hurt for Keim to take advantage of every opportunity he has to acknowledge the primetime talent he has in Jones, who logged five sacks against the Titans in Week 1.
The multi-time Pro Bowl and All-Pro pass rusher's current contract expires at the end of the 2021 season, meaning the time for talking without progress being made towards a deal is winding down. Still, Keim said the team will take its time and continue evaluating the situation before making any decisions.
"You always want to get good players under contract, but there are always a million different moving parts," he added. "I have to continue to look at the roster moving forward, generally from a three-year standpoint."
On the surface, Jones' production -- 102 sacks, 438 tackles in 10 seasons -- should squash any need for further discussion. When a guy has performed like he has, it's only right that he gets paid handsomely.
Unfortunately, in the case of the 31-year-old Jones, the end of his deal comes off the heels of a injury-reduced 2020 campaign that saw the former first-rounder lost for the season after suffering a torn bicep in Week 5. He recorded one sack in those five starts.
Jones' start to the new campaign is beyond encouraging but, let's face it, it's going to take more than that before an extension is agreed upon. In the meantime, let's all just sit back and see what kind of message Jones sends against Minnesota on Sunday.
