KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It’s the fourth quarter of offseason preparation for the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, who have been practicing for the 2023 season for more than 30 days.
All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones hasn’t been present for any of it. He also skipped the team’s offseason program, including the mandatory minicamp.
There’s now roughly two weeks remaining before the Sept. 7 season opener against Detroit at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, a game that will air on KSHB 41, and the Chiefs appear no closer to resolving Jones’ contract holdout than when camp started.
“There’s been no communication, so I don’t know what’s going to go on there,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Wednesday. “But whatever happens, happens. I mean if he’s not there, the game goes on, right? So that’s how it works.”
Jones has one year remaining on a four-year extension he signed before the 2020 season, but he’s reportedly seeking an extension that would make him at least the second-highest paid defensive tackle in NFL history.
“They have to communicate and do their thing,” Reid said of Jones’ representation and the Chiefs’ front office, “and there has just been no communication.”
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is the leader of the offense with Jones positioned as the leader of the defense, said the contract impasse has lasted longer than he expected, but he understands.
“I don’t think anyone expected him not to be here now, but that’s part of the contract negotiation stuff, so I’m not looking down on him or anything like that,” Mahomes said. “He has stuff that he’s trying to get done that he feels like he needs to get done right now.”
Jones matched his career-best with 15 1/2 sacks last season, seeming to vibe with new defensive line coach Joe Cullen. He also notched the first postseason sacks of his career.
Mahomes called Jones “a vital part of this organization” and said he’s eager to get him back in the locker room.
“I know that contract stuff is hard to talk about because everyone wants to make money for their entire family and everything like that, but I know how much Chris loves the Chiefs,” Mahomes said. “He loves being a part of this organization, so I just try to stay out of it and tell Chris how much we love him and that whenever he does come back he’ll be welcomed with open arms. We know he is preparing himself so that whenever he does get back, he can be that dominant player that he always has been.”
Unlike Reid, Mahomes said he does stay in regular communication with Jones, who is “in good spirits.”
“He’s a guy that loves football — like I said he loves playing for the Chiefs — so this is a hard time for all players when this stuff comes up because you want to play, you want to be out there,” Mahomes said. “But at the same time you want to take care of your family, so it’s finding that right spot of where you think you need to be at that time. It doesn’t hurt his relationship with any of us. We respect his decision. At the same time, when he comes back, we’ll welcome him with open arms and know that he can be a pivotal teammate to help try to make another run at the Super Bowl.”
Reid lauded the rest of the defensive line group’s work during camp without Jones.
“It’s similar if someone gets hurt,” he said. “If someone gets hurt, you have to go play and that’s the approach they’ve taken, ‘Chris isn’t here; opportunity for us to play’ and they’ve worked their tails off there. It’s been impressive watching.”
Kansas City wraps up the preseason at noon Saturday against Cleveland at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
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