Champion Chiefs keep winning, sign Pro Bowl defensive tackle Chris Jones to long-term deal
The Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs have re-signed star defensive tackle Chris Jones.
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Entering Tuesday, there were 14 players in the NFL who had been franchise tagged by their teams and hadn't signed ahead of Wednesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline to do so or have to play the 2020 season on the tag – or, in theory, hold out if said player didn't sign the tag. Kansas City Chiefs Pro Bowl defensive tackle Chris Jones had made some noise about holding out into the season without a long-term deal, but that point is moot with the news Tuesday that the Super Bowl champions have signed Jones to a four-year, $85 million contract with $60 million guaranteed.
That essentially ends all major offseason business for the Chiefs after signing superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes to a record-setting extension last week. Rather amazingly, Mahomes' extension had zero net impact on the Chiefs' salary cap over 2020 and 2021.
Jones got what he wanted, too, as his goal was to reach an average of $20 million per season. Jones would've been due $16.126 million this year on the tag.
In 2018, Jones was spectacular as he finished with 15.5 sacks and had at least one in 11 consecutive games, becoming the first player to do so in NFL history. Last year, not quite as quite as dominant with 36 tackles and nine sacks, but Jones was double-teamed on nearly every play and missed three games injured. Jones didn't have gaudy stats in the Super Bowl win over San Francisco (one tackle) but was constantly harassing Niners QB Jimmy Garoppolo and helped force a Jimmy G second-quarter interception.
Barring injury, Kansas City now has 20 of its 22 Super Bowl starters locked into returning, the entire coaching staff back and the team added an Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite in LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, the final pick of the 2020 first round of the draft.
The Chiefs remain +500 favorites on the moneyline odds at William Hill sportsbook to win Super Bowl 55. Jones is +5000 to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
It's possible that no other franchise-tagged guys will sign long-term deals by the Wednesday deadline because the coronavirus pandemic has given teams a lack of financial clarity going forward.
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