Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones is taking another step to make his desire for a new contract clear.
The four-time Pro Bowl selection was not in attendance for the start of the Chiefs’ minicamp on Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.
Jones, who turns 29 in July, is entering the final year of a four-year, $80 million contract, with a base salary of $19.5 million for 2023.
Jones is seeking a deal that would put him at least second among defensive tackles in pay. The Los Angeles Rams’ Aaron Donald is the highest-paid interior lineman with a three-year, $95 million deal reached last June. The Tennessee Titans’ Jeffery Simmons stands in second after a four-year, $94 million extension that was signed in April.
“We’ll spend time, and obviously we have a great relationship with Chris and his staff,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said in May when asked about a potential extension with Jones. “So, we’ll get to work and see what we can do.”
Veach added: “Those things usually take a little bit of time here, so we have a little bit of a runway now until the start of training camp to hopefully get something done.”
Jones’ contract push comes in an offseason in which several other defensive tackles have elevated the market at the position with pricey extensions. Simmons, Daron Payne (Washington Commanders), Dexter Lawrence (New York Giants) and Javon Hargrave (San Francisco 49ers) all signed deals in recent months that cleared $21 million in average annual value.
In 2022, Jones tied for his career high with 15 ½ sacks. He earned his first All-Pro nod and finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz on Twitter @MikeMSchwartz.
