One of the looming questions as the Kansas City Chiefs continue their Super Bowl run is the future of All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones. His contract is set to expire after the season, which means his days with the Chiefs could be numbered.
But according to Jones, he hasn’t ruled out re-signing with Kansas City.
Sports Illustrated NFL Insider Albert Breer spoke with Jones after the Chiefs’ 27-24 win over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional Round. Breer’s conversation with Jones tells us all we need to know regarding where Jones wants to be after the 2023 season.
He and I talked about that, including his suggestion that the Chiefs hold off on putting him on the edge earlier in the game, which paid off. He also mentioned how much defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has meant to him over the past few years: “Spags is a wizard. I hope he doesn’t get a head coaching job, hoping he stay with me forever.” To which I had to ask … Does that mean that, after all the contractual animus you’ve had with the team, you’re planning to stay in Kansas City after all?
He smiled.
“If the Chiefs keep me, I’ll stay,” he says. “That’s always been the plan.”
Jones conducted a contract holdout during the backend of the 2023 offseason that bled early into the 2023 regular season. The result of that holdout was a revised deal between Jones and the Chiefs for one year that pays him a base salary of $19.5 million and is worth up to $25 million with incentives.
Nate Taylor of The Athletic reported on July 23 that Jones wanted a contract that paid him $30 million/year, which is not what he received from the Chiefs in his revised one-year deal. Despite that, Jones is enjoying his time in Kansas City enough that he hasn’t completely ruled out returning to the team in 2024.
Andy Reid Talks Ravens, Lamar Jackson
One of Jones’s toughest tasks this season will be trying to contain Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who the Chiefs will face in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday, January 28.
Speaking to the media on January 22, Kansas City head coach Andy Reid discussed if there are similarities in defending Jackson like Bills QB Josh Allen, who the Chiefs defeated in the AFC Divisional Round.
“I would tell you, it’s somewhat the same. You have to stay in your lanes, you have to stay disciplined with any quarterback that runs,” Reid explained during his press conference. “Lamar (Jackson) is special, he’s fast and one of the faster guys on the field when it’s all said and done and he’s shifty. Where Josh (Allen) will go right through you, he doesn’t care, he’s a big, big man and probably equally as fast. He’s a fast kid, he’s run away from secondary players, you’ve seen that on tape.
“This kid, he throws it well, he throws it on the move well, runs the ball well so we’ve just got to stay on top of that part of it throughout practice this week and then during the game.”
The Chiefs-Ravens AFC Championship Game will kick off on Sunday at 2 p.m. Central time and will be available to watch on CBS.
Twitter/X Reacts to Chiefs-Ravens Matchup
Users on X, formerly Twitter, reacted to the Chiefs and Ravens squaring off in the AFC Title Game.
“The Ravens keep proving everyone wrong. They keep saying that Lamar is going to choke and that we’re not for real in the playoffs, but the Texans know how good Lamar is right now,” one user wrote. “The Chiefs will also learn who the best quarterback and team is in the NFL right now.”
“I thought the #Ravens matched up better against the Chiefs anyway,” another user wrote. “Although their offense has been much, much better as of late. But they are facing a much different defense. Will be a fun one to cut up for Battle Plans. To be the best, you gotta beat the best. Simple as that.”
