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As the Kansas City Chiefs revel in their Super Bowl LVII triumph against the Eagles earlier this year, a lingering concern looms over their title defense campaign.
The focal point of this apprehension is the ongoing contract dispute with star defensive tackle, Chris Jones, who’s entering the final year of a four-year, $80 million deal he signed in the summer of 2020.
Jones, who has been a pivotal force in the Chiefs’ defensive line since being drafted in the 2nd round of the 2016 Draft, is yet to make an appearance at the team’s training camp.
The absence follows a remarkable 2022 season for Jones, where he matched his career-high record with 15.5 sacks.
Adding fuel to the fire, a Twitter user took a jab at Jones for his holdout, labeling him “an All-Pro on social media” and pressing for his return date. In response, Jones simply stated, “Week 8.”
When another tweet pointed out the substantial financial sacrifice such a holdout would entail, Jones confidently responded, “I can afford it.”
Update: #Chiefs DT Chris Jones apparently claims he'll sit out until Week 8 of the 2023 season.
(📷 @StoneColdJones) pic.twitter.com/iohmb7XFK5
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 22, 2023
If Jones sticks to his declared schedule and no resolution is reached, he would be slated to rejoin the Chiefs on October 29th, just in time for their matchup against the Broncos.
The team is scheduled to kick off their 2023 season on September 7th against the Lions, with or without Chris Jones.