Tick. Tick. Tick.
The Chiefs and defensive tackle Chris Jones continue to wait for a deal that will end his reluctance. A deal definitely needs to be made.
As explained on Saturday, the gap is not huge. And Jones isn’t trying to reinvigorate the market, despite claims elsewhere that he is.
And the season begins on four days in Kansas City.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
The Chiefs are due $24.67 million per year over the next three years. The high (for now) for defensive players came from Aaron Donald at $31.67 million. The midpoint, we are told, is assumed to be Jones.
The alternative for the Chiefs would be to go without him for up to seven weeks. This would allow him to be counted toward the final year of his contract and likely receive the franchise tag in 2024.
While on one hand it would set the stage for a repeat performance in 2023 (without any fines since he wouldn’t be under contract), it could also prompt the Chiefs to consider trading him and then replacing him through the draft.
They could have done that this year if they had recognized the strength of his determination. If one of the teams in the top 10 had been interested in (and willing to pay) one of the most disruptive defenses in football, the Chiefs could have picked up Jalen Carter, for example, and started over.
The trade option carries a lot of risk for the Chiefs as there is no guarantee they will find someone who can do what Jones does. That’s the mystery this time, and it’s something that should stay in Jones’ mind. They need him too much to trade him.
Look at what they did with receiver Tyreek Hill. He had become a distraction as he demanded more throws behind the scenes. Then he wanted first class money. And as a reward for getting on his nerves, he got what he wanted – a new team, a lot of money, a bigger role.
The Chiefs traded for Tyreek because they believed they could win without him. You were right. The Chiefs probably can’t win without Jones. So you won’t trade him.
Trading him now wouldn’t make much sense since they wouldn’t be able to find anyone to replace him in return. The better time would be after the season when they could sign the player who would hopefully become Chris Jones 2.0.
The best outcome would be to just work it out and keep him around. It seems close enough to get a deal done. Will they do it before Thursday evening?
Tick. Tick. Tick.