Chris Jones will not be forced to play under the franchise tag in 2020, as the star defensive lineman has agreed to a long-term deal with the Kansas City Chiefs.
ESPN’s Chris Mortensen was the first to report the news, with Adam Schefter adding that the deal is for $85 million over four years and includes $60 million guaranteed.
Chiefs are giving franchise DT Chirs Jones a four-year, $85 million deal that includes $60 million in guarantees, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 14, 2020
There was some question about whether the Chiefs would be able to afford Jones after they signed Patrick Mahomes to a massive $500 million extension recently, but Jones had made it clear he was not opposed to sitting out the 2020 season without a long-term deal in place. Jones played hardball in negotiations with the Chiefs all season and was openly unhappy about being hit with the franchise tag, but it all worked out in the long run.
Jones was a second-round pick by the Chiefs in 2016 and had fulfilled his four-year, $6.23 million contract. He was franchise tagged by Kansas City after recording nine sacks last season. The former Mississippi State star had 15.5 sacks in 2018.
