Chris Jones’ holdout earlier this year didn’t result in a new contract with the Chiefs, but he has no regrets about his decision.
In an interview with NBC Sports’ Michael Smith ahead of the Chiefs’ “Sunday Night Football” game against the Packers in Green Bay, Jones talked about his holdout and his future.
Jones will be an unrestricted free agent after the season and he spoke about the possibility of leaving the Chiefs, although he made it clear he hopes to remain with the franchise.
“I never really take it personal, man. The business is the business aspect of it, man,” Jones said of contract talks. “It’s a tough business. It’s a cutthroat business and you can’t get too involved with your feelings about it.
“If we’re speaking truthfully, this could be my last year with the Chiefs. Am I gonna hate the Chiefs for it? Am I going to down the Chiefs for it? No, I understand the business of it, you know what I mean? So I can respect the reality of things, so I never put my feelings in the business part of it.”
Jones was asked if he feels more urgency knowing this could be his final season with the Chiefs. “Hypothetically speaking, if this is my last year, I’ve given this organization everything I have. I’ve exhausted everything,” Jones said. “So if this is my last year, I’m super thankful. Hopefully it’s not but if it is, I’m super grateful for the Chiefs organization, and I’ve poured everything into this.”
The Chiefs have six regular-season games remaining and then likely the playoffs, so Jones is not worrying about what might happen when he hits free agency.
“I don’t even think about it because when you start thinking about things, trying to plan, nothing really goes as planned, right?” Jones said. “It’s always a curveball, it’s always something that comes up and it’s like, ‘Ah, well, I had this planned out but …’
“So I don’t think about it. After the season, we’ll evaluate, see where we’re at and hopefully it’s still with the Chiefs.”
Here is the interview, and I’ve got the video set to start with the questions about Jones’ future.
