The Kansas City Chiefs have handed out another bag of cash.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that the Chiefs and star defensive tackle Chris Jones agreed to a four-year contract worth $85 million, per the player's agents. The deal includes $60 million in total guarantees upon signing.
Sides had until Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET to get a multi-year deal done, otherwise, Jones would be restricted to playing on the $16.1 million franchise tag. They got the deal done with a day to spare.
A game-wrecking interior defender, Jones viewed himself as a $20-million-per-year player given the current market. Last month he suggested he could sit out if a long-term contract wasn't done before the deadline.
The Chiefs appeased the star DT and avoided any animosity moving forward. The $21.25 million per year on the four-year extension puts him behind only Aaron Donald among interior pass rushers and ahead of DeForest Buckner (4 years/$84 million), who signed his new deal in Indianapolis this offseason, on a per-year basis.
There was speculation that the Chiefs would struggle to find salary-cap space to give Jones a gigantic deal already having Frank Clark on the books for $20-million per year.
In the end, Patrick Mahomes' massive new 10-year-extension, which wound up providing the Chiefs a team-friendly solution, helped K.C. keep Jones on a mega multi-year deal. The structure of Mahomes' deal kept the salary-cap impact flat for the next two years, allowing K.C. flexibility. Upon inking his half-billion-dollar deal, Mahomes cited the desire to keep good players around him as a reason for not seeking the most amount of money possible. The Chiefs turned around and immediately honored that commitment.
Keeping Jones around long-term is a massive boon for K.C.'s defense. The past two seasons, Jones has impacted the passer as much as any interior defender not named Aaron Donald. He's compiled 16.5 sacks the past two seasons. Pro Football Focus gave the 28-year-old their second-highest pass-rushing grade in the NFL since 2018. Jones had a massive Super Bowl game, crumbling the pocket and account for three passes defended. K.C. likely would not have hoisted the Lombardi without Jones' play that night.
In an offseason disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chiefs have continued to do big business and kept the core of their veteran squad together. Keeping the majority of their starters in place will certainly help in an uncertain season in 2020. Jones' new four-year deal keeps the main pieces on both sides of the ball together the next several years.
The window for the Chiefs to become the next dynasty in the AFC is wide open.
