Kansas City Chiefs DT Chris Jones’ contract situation was always tied to New Yorks Jets DT Quinnen Williams.
Williams, the former No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft, just signed a four-year contract extension worth $96 million with the Jets, including $66 million in guaranteed money. It falls just short of the $25-$30 million range that Williams was reportedly looking for this offseason.
We always knew that Williams was going to make more than players like Tennessee Titans DT Jeffrey Simmons and New York Giants DT Dexter Lawrence. His statistical production in 2022 (12 sacks and over 50 pressures) put him in a class with Jones last season. This now paves the way for a contract extension between the Chiefs and Jones, which they can now hopefully get done in a timely fashion ahead of training camp.
A deal for Jones was always likely to exceed the $24 million-per-year average that Williams just received from the Jets. We’ve spoken about him receiving a deal much closer to the $31 million average that Aaron Donald got from the Rams.
The guaranteed money on the deal for Williams should make Jones and his camp plenty happy. He could potentially touch $70 million in guaranteed money now depending on the term of the contract with Kansas City.
If Jones’ acceptance speech for the “Best Team” award at the ESPYs on Wednesday night wasn’t promising enough, this should provide a patch forward for talks on a long-term extension. Look for a deal to get done between the Chiefs and Jones ahead of the team’s veteran report date at training camp on Saturday, July 22.
