A little over a week after Patrick Mahomes signed his record contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs, franchise tagged defensive lineman Chris Jones also reached a deal with the team. It turns out those things aren’t coincidental.
Jones said Monday that Mahomes texted him after the quarterback’s deal was completed and told Jones that he’d left money on the table to get Jones’ deal done. That, apparently, helped lead to Jones concluding his own deal.
Chris Jones on Patrick Mahomes' role in his extension:
"When Pat's deal got done, Pat texted me and said 'Let's get this thing done. I left some on the table, let's get this thing done.' And that's when I had the security that me & the Chiefs were going to work something out."
— Terez A. Paylor (@TerezPaylor) July 20, 2020
Mahomes didn’t hide his excitement when Jones’ extension was announced, and it certainly seems he played an indirect role in making it happen. Jones credits him for it, anyway.
Jones had nine sacks last season for the Chiefs after collecting 15.5 in 2018. The 26-year-old is now locked up by Kansas City through 2023.
