Kansas City Chiefs star defensive tackle Chris Jones agreed to a one-year deal with the reigning Super Bowl champions on Monday, four days after they lost their NFL season opener.
No financial terms were revealed in the team’s announcement of the agreement, but Jones was to have made $19.5 million this season in the final year of a four-year, $80 million contract.
The 29-year-old lineman, a four-time Pro Bowl player, did not report to the Chiefs’ pre-season training camp in July, holding out for a contract extension.
Jones remained absent through Kansas City’s season-opening 21-20 home loss to Detroit last Thursday in the NFL’s 2023 kickoff contest.
Jones, who helped the Chiefs win two of the past four Super Bowls, set an NFL record with a quarterback sack in 11 consecutive games in the 2018 campaign.
He has 243 career tackles and 65 sacks over seven NFL seasons, all with the Chiefs. Last season, Jones matched a career high with 15.5 sacks.
“Chris is an elite player in this league and over the last seven years he has really developed into a leader on our team,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said.
“He has been instrumental to our success and Super Bowl championship runs and it was a priority for us to keep him in a Chiefs uniform.”
Veach said it was “obvious” during negotiations that “Chris wanted to be a Chief” after making 86 starts and 107 appearances for the club.
Jones has 146 pressured passes, two interceptions, 33 deflected passes, 12 forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries and was a team captain in last season’s championship run.
He could be available to play as quickly as Sunday when the Chiefs will visit Jacksonville.
