Kansas City Chiefs‘ star defensive tackle, Chris Jones, skipped mandatory minicamp due to a contract dispute. Led by head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs remain Super Bowl contenders. However, they desperately need the defender.
Jones is seeking a new contract with one year remaining on his current deal. The defensive tackle has a base salary of 19.5M in 2023, but his impressive 15.5 sacks last season warrant a raise. Especially considering the massive contracts that were handed this offseason to players at that position.
Despite the dispute, fans shouldn’t worry too much yet because the Chiefs had a similar situation with him after becoming champions in the 2019 season. His value to the team suggests a resolution is likely, with both parties benefiting from a resolution since Jones currently has a cap hit that exceeds the 28M.
Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid downplay Chris Jones’ absence
The NFL is a quarterback league, so it’s clear who is the most important person in the Chiefs right now. However, Reid is almost as important as Mahomes for what they can achieve as the best QB-head coach duo in the league. That’s why their voices are listened to more carefully when they speak, and this time they understood Jones’ decision to skip mandatory minicamp.
“It’s part of the business. I think Chris knows that we love him here. He’s been a part of this team for a long time. He’s one of the main reasons that we’ve had the success that we’ve had. He’s been that leader on the defense,” Mahomes said according to Adam Teicher of ESPN.
Reid even mentioned a potential comeback. “Chris wasn’t here. Kinda like last year, same type of deal. That’s his choice. He chose not to be here. I’m sure he’ll be at training camp. I don’t even deal with it. I let Brett [general manager Veach] deal with it. If you’re there, you’re there, and if you’re not, we keep going. It’s one of those deals. They’ll work all that out. They’re communicating, so that’s important”, the head coach added per Nick Shook of NFL Network.