Kansas City Chiefs have a playoff game against the Miami Dolphins this weekend. During weekly media availability on Tuesday, star defensive tackle Chris Jones spoke to reporters and left further speculation about his future by the time he left the podium.
Jones’ contract situation was a big story last off-season as the veteran pass rusher held out all summer, hoping to receive a mega payday. Instead, the Chiefs and Jones settled on a revised one-year contract worth $25 million filled with incentives for him to earn back the money he lost from various fines he received from holding out.
Jones is still without a contract extension and will hit the open market this spring unless the Chiefs GM Brett Veach opens his checkbook. However, the numbers Jones is likely to ask for are projected to be out of Kansas City’s price range, making the Chiefs’ postseason run the beginning of the end for Chris Jones dressing in a KC uniform.
Jones addressed his future to reporters and acknowledged his days with the Chiefs could be numbered, and this weekend’s game against the Dolphins might be his last game played at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
“I think it’s more so as the goal; you usually reflect after it’s all done. You kind of reflect on it,” Jones explained. “What’s the next chapter for you? For the team. I try not to think [that] it could be my last game in Arrowhead, and who knows? But, most importantly, we got a game to play. Trying to make a deep run in these playoffs. And if it is my last time, we got to make it worthwhile.”
Jones has spent his entire career with the Chiefs since he was drafted by the team in 2016. The all-pro d-tackle reiterated his comments about his future by turning the attention back to Saturday’s postseason matchup.
“Man, that [didn’t] cross my mind,” Jones said. “Listen. I’m just thinking about playing the Dolphins. If it is, it is; if it’s not, it’s not; you can’t think about the future because the future tends to change. People change throughout the day, feelings change by the day, and you just gotta roll with the punches in life. You know, they give you lemons, make lemonade. Right now, we try to make lemonade out of this.”
Since joining the Chiefs, Jones has been a part of some historical achievements, including eight consecutive AFC West championships, hosting five straight AFC Championship games, and winning two Super Bowls. Rather than fixate on his contract situation, Jones explained his sights are on leading the Chiefs on another run in the playoffs.
“We got an exciting Dolphins team coming,” he reminded reporters. “I’m looking forward to it. We made the playoffs and won the AFC West, slowly knocking off goals we wanted to do throughout this year. The first thing was to win the AFC West, host a home playoff game back in Arrowhead, and then let’s make it and get the Lamar trophy again. So we’re surely checking those boxes, and we’ll continue to do that. We’ll figure this out at the end of the year, right.”
The five-time Pro Bowler finished the 2023 regular season with 30 tackles, 29 QB hits, and 10.5 sacks.
