The Kansas City Chiefs have come to financial terms on a deal with star defensive tackle Chris Jones of Houston, Texas. On Tuesday, Jones signed a four-year-contract worth a whopping $85 million according to the Associated Press.
The signing of Jones comes nine days after the Chiefs opened their wallet and signed their star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, to a 10-year-deal worth $503 million. Jones now becomes the second highest paid defensive tackle in the National Football League. Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams is currently making $22.5 million per year. Jones is averaging $21.25 million per year.
It was quite simply a magical season for Jones in 2019. He was not only selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his NFL career, but won the Super Bowl for the first time too.
In 12 regular season games in 2019, Jones had four pass deflections, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery for 12 yards, nine sacks, 36 combined tackles (23 solo tackles and 13 assisted tackles), eight tackles for a loss, and 20 quarterback hits. The fumble recovery was the first of Jones’s career. It came in a 34-30 Chiefs win over the Detroit Lions on September 29.
In the Chiefs’s postseason games on their way to winning the Super Bowl in 2020, Jones had three pass deflections, three tackles (one solo tackle and two assisted tackles), and one quarterback hit. In six career postseason games, Jones has nine pass deflections, seven combined tackles (three solo tackles and four assisted tackles) and one quarterback hit.
Jones was initially the Chiefs’s second round draft pick, 37th overall, in the 2016 NFL Draft. In 61 regular season games, Jones has two interceptions for 17 yards and one touchdown, 20 pass deflections, seven forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, 33 sacks, 136 tackles (97 solo tackles and 39 assisted tackles), 37 tackles for a loss, and 72 quarterback hits.
It should also be noted that Jones was considering holding out from the Chiefs prior to the contract being signed according to Jeff Fedotin of Forbes Magazine. In 2019, Jones made the transition to defensive tackle after playing his first four seasons at defensive end.
