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Jones finished with four tackles (three solo), including 2.0 sacks, in the Chiefs' 17-10 win over the Chargers on Sunday. The five-time All-Pro finished with his best statistical game of the year to date. Jones has nine tackles, including 3.0 sacks, and a forced fumble in 2024.
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Jones (shoulder) returned to practice last week and was a participant again Sunday, and he appears to be in line to play in Thursday's season opener versus Baltimore, Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com reports. Jones suffered a shoulder stinger in early August and didn't play in any of Kansas City's preseason contests, but his ability to practice of late suggests that the veteran pass rusher isn't at much risk of sitting out Week 1. An official update on Jones' status will come when Kansas City's initial injury report is released Monday.
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Jones and the Chiefs agreed Saturday on a five-year contract that includes $95 million guaranteed, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. It's a historic deal that gives the veteran the highest average annual salary ever for a defensive tackle. After a 2023 campaign where Jones sat out the first game of the year while still negotiating a contract, the two sides have removed any drama on his status, with the team heading into free agency Wednesday. The 29-year-old was once again dominant this past season, recording 30 tackles, including 10.5 sacks, while also deflecting four passes over 16 regular-season contests. Additionally, he added eight tackles, including 0.5 sacks, two pass deflections and a forced fumble over the Chiefs' four postseason contests on their way to becoming the first back-to-back Super Bowl champions in the NFL since the Patriots of the 2004 season. Jones is now under contract until he's 34 years old, and the 2024 campaign will be his ninth in Kansas City.
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Kansas City has felt "growing optimism" about re-signing Jones to a new contract before free agency per a league source, Nate Taylor and Dianna Russini of The Athletic report. The Chiefs are hoping to have Jones officially re-signed prior to March 11, when free agents become eligible to begin negotiations with other teams around the league. The standout pass rusher is reportedly seeking a contract that will pay him in the ballpark of $30 million annually, which would put him behind Nick Bosa and Aaron Donald. The All-Pro defensive lineman has compiled 25.5 sacks across the last two seasons, and he made game-changing plays in each of Kansas City's last two Super Bowl victories, making his value to the team undeniable. A recent restructure would allow the Chiefs to place the franchise tag on Jones if desirable, but L'Jarius Sneed seems like a likelier candidate for such a transaction.
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The Chiefs picked up the option on Jones' contract, which pays him an extra $4.25 million in incentives and gives Kansas City the ability to franchise tag Jones this offseason, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. This move is more of a bookkeeping matter than anything else, as Jones was due the extra incentive money regardless. The All-Pro defensive lineman is still scheduled to hit the free agent market this offseason, but this restructuring allows Kansas City to franchise tag Jones if the team chooses to do so. Expect the 29-year-old to attract lots of attention after accumulating 30 total tackles, including 10.5 sacks and an additional 2.5 tackles for loss, in 2023.