As L’Jarius Sneed Plays on Franchise Tag, Chris Jones Contract Rumors Put Massive Price for Kansas City’s Elite Tackle

As the offseason kicked off, the first agenda on GM Veach’s list would have to be Chris Jones’ contract. And the second would be the other defensive star on their roster, L’Jarius Sneed. Kansas City’s lockdown corner Sneed has been an integral part of their backfield. Sneed is expected to play on a franchise tag this year, as negotiations have not concluded a long-term deal.

Both negotiations for Jones and Sneed were held over the NFL Combine weekend. As Sneed’s negotiations come to an end for this year, let’s look at how Jones will fare after all is said and done.

Chris Jones is at the center of the Kansas City Chiefs Offseason struggles. The elite defensive tackle is all set to add his name to the list of highest-paid DTs after signing his latest, upcoming contract. Currently playing on a 1-year contract with the Chiefs on a salary of $19.5 million, Jones has been pivotal in their success on the defensive front. So to compensate for such a huge involvement with the team, Jones and his people should be expecting a hefty long-term contract.

While the Kansas City Chiefs continue to work towards a Chris Jones extension, the franchise tag will officially be placed on cornerback L’Jarius Sneed tomorrow, per sources.

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 3, 2024

And while Sneed is set to play on the tag, Jones and the Chiefs seem to have reached a healthy conclusion to the contract saga. Rumors from league insiders have sparked that the price tag for Jones will be around $27 million and $28 million for the year. The term of the contract is not yet out, but if rumors are to be believed, Jones could stand to make a big bag if the contract talks go well.

Is Chris Jones Undervalued Even at $28 Million?

Last year as well, the two parties, Chiefs and Jones tried to come to an agreement over the long-term status. But the deal did not go through for a longer term and the DT came back to play on a single-year deal. It was clear that the negotiations would begin again once the season was over. Although the price is said to be around $27 million or $28 million, it is understood that if Jones hits the market, he will get more than that. He could possibly reset the entire defensive stars’ market.

Currently, Aaron Donald with his 3-year $95 million deal heads the table for the highest paid Defensive Tackles. The 49ers took it one step further and gave Nick Bosa a $170 million contract with a $34 million yearly salary that puts him on top of every defensive player ever, but if Jones hits the open market, he will be one of the most sought after blue chip players currently not under contract. With the scarcity of good defensive players in free agency and possibly the draft,  it would not be a stretch to assume that on the open market, Jones will be able to get much more than what Kansas City might offer.

And to take it one step further, he might be able to make more than even Nick Bosa. But Bosa has zero rings while Aaron Donald has one. Chris Jones currently stands on the precipice of only the second NFL dynasty of this century. Can that be put into money terms? Probably not. The decision he faces is whether to stay on with a team with more Lombardis in its future, or more money.