Chris Jones reportedly misses start of Chiefs camp, ‘far apart’ on extension

The Kansas City Chiefs opened up training camp without their top defensive player on Saturday.

Chris Jones wasn’t present on the first day for Chiefs veteran players to report to camp as he’s “far apart” on reaching a contract extension with the team, ESPN reported Saturday. 

The star defensive tackle has reportedly been in negotiations with the team on a new deal over the offseason as he enters the final season of a four-year, $80 million contract he signed prior to the 2020 season. Jones is currently the eighth-highest-paid defensive tackle on a per-year basis, per Spotrac. 

Jones, who turned 29 earlier in July, has been a pillar of the Chiefs’ defense since the team selected him in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He’s been one of the game’s top defensive tackles since the 2018 season, when he recorded 15.5 sacks and began a five-year stretch in which he’s been named an All-Pro four times. 

Jones has also been named a Pro Bowler in the last four seasons and is arguably coming off the best season in his career. He matched his 2018 sack total (15.5) and had a career-high 44 combined tackles to go along with two forced fumbles. He also recorded the first two postseason sacks of his career, notching both in the Chiefs’ thrilling AFC Championship Game victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. He helped the Chiefs win the Super Bowl for the second time in four seasons two weeks later. 

Following another strong season, Jones sought an extension but has yet to even report to any of the team’s practices since the Super Bowl win, as he skipped mandatory minicamp in June. Jones can be fined up to $50,000 for each day he holds out under the CBA the NFL ratified in 2020. 

Jones joins a growing list of star players that reportedly will or could hold out of training camp in the coming weeks. Saquon Barkley will not report to Giants training camp, FOX Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano reported earlier in July. Josh Jacobs reportedly plans to miss the start of Raiders camp and Cowboys guard Zack Martin could reportedly skip camp, too. 

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Chris Jones