The Kansas City Chiefs kick off the new NFL season this Thursday night against the Detroit Lions and while the overwhelming emotion for most fans is excitement, there is still one nagging issue that looms over the start of the season, the Chris Jones holdout. KC’s star defensive tackle still has not reported and says he may not for up to 8 weeks if he doesn’t get a new deal to his liking.
I previously wrote that Jones deserves to be paid like one of the NFL’s top pass rushers and I still believe that, but we are at the point now where neither Jones or the Chiefs are benefitting from this holdout any longer. Fans are taking sides, Travis Kelce is pleading on his podcast for Jones to come back, and Jones’ agent is leaking numbers to Mike Florio to try and sway public opinion. It’s a mess and a distraction for the team and what they are trying to achieve this year.
I understand fans that are in favor of players getting every last dollar they can in a violent billion dollar sport with a short earning window. I also understand fans that have a “team first” attitude and don’t have patience for players that are already millionaires putting a few more million above what is in the best interest for the team. My argument is that we are now at the point where things are hurting both sides and nobody is “winning”.
The Chiefs are in the middle of a Super Bowl window where they can lay claim to being one of the great dynasties in the history of the NFL. Chris Jones is a huge part of that. I’m not just talking about his role in the past two Super Bowl wins, but in their chances to earn a third in this era and cement their legacy forever.
The Chiefs ability to win a second Super Bowl after trading away star wideout Tyreek Hill when they couldn’t come to a contract agreement has many fans feeling confident that they could do the same without Jones. There’s just one big problem there. The Chiefs had the best offensive mind in football at head coach in Andy Reid, the best quarterback in football in Patrick Mahomes, and arguably the best tight end of all time in Travis Kelce to keep the offense clicking without Hill. There isn’t anyone of that stature on defense to replace Jones.
Now before you go thinking that I’m saying Jones has all the leverage here, he doesn’t. Jones is set to make $19.5 million this season and he’s already amassed about $2 million in fines for his holdout. When he starts adding game checks to that total it isn’t going to take long before his holdout ends up costing him close to the difference in what the Chiefs are offering and what he is asking for. This is why both sides would benefit from a compromise and getting this deal done.
The Chiefs need Jones to have their best shot at another Super Bowl this season and Jones needs to get a deal done soon to maximize what he is paid this season so that the overall money works out in his favor. The Chiefs have also had a fantastic locker room with little to no drama during this Super Bowl era and the longer this drags on the more people will take sides and this could turn one of KC’s strengths as a team into a problem.
