The Kansas City Chiefs secured their short-term future by signing Chris Jones to a one-year deal for the 2023 season. After that? It's anybody's guess as to where Jones will end up.
After months of speculation, Jones and the team finally agreed to a one-year, $25 million extension with up to $6.75 million in incentives. The Chiefs retained their defensive star, and Jones got his bag -- for now.
It's notable that Jones' contract doesn't include any stipulations that prevent Kansas City from using the franchise tag on him for 2024, which seems to leave that door open for next offseason.
However, the Chiefs are not expected to tag Jones regardless due to their 2024 salary cap situation, as explained by ESPN's Adam Schefter.
A potential franchise tag for the All-Pro defensive tackle will set the Chiefs back $32.4 million in 2024, a 120 percent increase to the 2023 cap number.
Chiefs' salary cap may not allow them to tag Chris Jones next year
Currently, Kansas City is projected to be at the salary cap maximum when the new league starts in 2024. If they wanted to tag Jones, they would have to release masses of players or restructure contracts, something the front office may not want to do for a player they were already hesitant to pay this entire offseason.
In years past, the franchise tag has been used as a means to keep highly coveted players off the open market and afford teams more time to smooth things over with said players. The Chiefs may have shot themselves in the foot by extending Jones to only a one-year deal this year; given their financial situation, they may not be able to tag him in 2024 and therefore will only have two options: offer Jones the top-of-the-market multi-year extension he was looking for in the first place or let him walk.
Following this tumultuous offseason, the Chiefs' locker room may be irrevocably altered, and Jones may be gearing up to become an unrestricted free agent and start a bidding war to get his desired contract. So, did the Chiefs make a huge gaffe in not extending Jones for the long term? Only time will tell.
