The Kansas City Chiefs officially have a holdout situation on their hands with star defensive tackle Chris Jones.
According to a new report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Jones did not report to training camp with his veteran teammates. Veterans were able to begin reporting to Chiefs training camp at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri on Friday with their conditioning test set to take place on Saturday.
Schefter adds that the Chiefs and Jones’ camp remain far apart on a contract extension. That means the team could be in for a long holdout from Jones and it could be a costly one for the veteran. The new CBA requires a mandatory fine of $50,000 for each missed training camp practice session. If he were to miss the entirety of training camp, the team would be forced to fine him $950,000.
Chiefs’ All-Pro DT Chris Jones, who has been seeking a new deal this off-season, did not report with the rest of the team to training camp today, per source. The two sides remain “far apart” on a new deal for the Defensive Players of the Year finalist. pic.twitter.com/7doEzdxZcO
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 22, 2023
This is the first update that hasn’t been a positive one during the course of this process. Chiefs HC Andy Reid struck an optimistic tone while speaking to the media last week, stating that the two sides were still talking about a long-term deal. He did, however, not know if a deal would get done and allow Jones to report to training camp on time. Look for Jones to potentially strike a deal and report before the team’s first padded practice at training camp.
Jones signed a four-year contract extension back in 2020. The former second-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft has started 99 combined regular-season and postseason games in Kansas City. He’s recorded a whopping 256 combined tackles, 70 tackles for loss, 67 sacks and 42 passes batted during that span. A four-time Pro Bowl selection with a First-Team All-Pro nod in 2022, Jones has proven to be the lynchpin of the defense in Kansas City. He’s coming off a career year and his second Super Bowl title.
