NFL star Chris Jones has been an impact player for the Kansas City Chiefs since the team selected him. Ever since his rookie season, the defensive tackle has been a significant part of the team. However, things are not well between him and the team recently, as he has held out his contract.
Chris Jones recently claimed on X that he’s planning to hold out his contract with the team till week 8. The star defensive tackle has been holding out the contract for more than 1 month now. However, with the deadline for Jones and the Chiefs’ negotiation being a few hours away, there’s no sign of the parties reaching any agreement.
The Chiefs have already fined the 4-time Pro Bowl a huge $1.8 million. If he doesn’t show up till August 29, Chris Jones might have to pay even more as a fine. Article 20 of the CBA states that a player must report to the team 5 days before the end of the preseason. If the player fails to do so, the team can withhold his payment even if he reports later on.
So, as per the rules, Chris Jones needs to report to the Chiefs on August 29 by 4:00 pm ET. If he doesn’t, the team can put him on the reserve list. Moreover, the team can apply for a roster exemption for 2 games. They can further have the NFL star player without a roster spot. Moreover, the Chiefs can hold Jones’ pay in the beginning if they want.
If Chris Jones was serious, he’s probably not going to show up to the team anytime soon. However, the defensive tackle should if he wants not to lose any more money than he already has.
What did Patrick Mahomes say about Chris Jones holding out his contract?
Chris Jones has been holding out his contract because he has been unable to reach a negotiation with the team. Everyone is expecting the NFL star to return to the Chiefs soon. However, Jeremy Fowler, ESPN‘s journalist recently mentioned that this issue “is going to drag on even longer”.
“I talked to somebody with the team who said it feels like this is going to drag on even longer, maybe even into the season… The Chiefs certainly don’t want that but neither side appears ready to move on contract talks,” Fowler reported.
Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes recently mentioned that everyone is shocked by Jones’ move. However, at the same time, he said that he’s “not looking down on him”. The star also claimed that he believes that Chris Jones still loves the team.
“I don’t think anyone expected him not to be here now, but that’s part of the contract negotiation stuff. I’m not looking down on him for anything like that. I respect his decision… I know how much Chris loves the Chiefs. He loves being part of this organization,” Mahomes said.
The highest-rated Madden 24 player further mentioned that he loves Chris Jones a lot. The 2-time Super Bowl revealed that when the defensive tackle comes back, the team will welcome him with open hands.
