Chris Jones hints at the possibility of holding on as the Kansas City Chiefs and their franchise defensive lineman wait for a deal.
Jones, responding to a video from the NFL Network regarding his contractual situation, tweeted Tuesday night that not playing in 2020 was an option, referring to the 2018 Le’Veon Bell defender with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Or I will not play. @LeVeonBell told me about it
– Chris Jones (@StoneColdJones) July 1, 2020
The chefs used the non-exclusive franchise label on Jones in March. They still have until July 15 to sign a long-term contract, but Jones has yet to sign the tag, which would bring him $ 16.1 million next season.
Unless there is a long-term agreement with the Chiefs, Jones is expected to become an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Bell missed the 2018 season after refusing to play for the Steelers when they used the franchise label on him for the second year in a row. He signed with the New York Jets during the next off-season.
The ball carrier showed support for Jones in a tweet on Tuesday, writing “@StoneColdJones knows what he’s doing, trust.”
It is not the first time that Jones has alluded to problems with his future in Kansas City. After the Chiefs won the Super Bowl LIV, he said he wanted to be a “chef for life” and planned to “stay here forever”. But a few days before the Chiefs used the franchise label, Jones tweeted, “I hope they know I like them but, all the good things have to end …”
Jones did not participate in training and offseason training for the Chiefs in 2019, in hopes of obtaining a contract extension.
He showed up at training camp on time and placed third in the NFL last season with 15.5 bags. Jones played a key role in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LIV victory, putting pressure on San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and forcing an interception.
Information from Adam Teicher of ESPN was used in this report.
.
