The 2024 NFL offseason is officially upon us, which means Chiefs Kingdom must now await All-Pro defensive Chris Jones’s decision on his NFL future.
Despite the Kansas City Chiefs and Jones failing to reach a long-term extension in September, ESPN’s Adam Schefter doesn’t believe that will deter Jones from re-signing with Kansas City.
“Chris Jones, by the way, I know he’ll want to get paid of course,” Schefter said on February 12 of Jones’s upcoming free agency stint. “But there’s certainly a bond there. You can see the way that he and Andy Reid were acting after the game. I don’t think he’s going to want to leave unless there’s some huge difference in offers between Kansas City and somewhere else. And the Chiefs value him, they want him back. To me, yeah they’re going to run it back with a lot of this team intact.”
If what Schefter said is true, then Chiefs Kingdom must cross their fingers that no other NFL team approaches Jones, 29, with a massive contract offer this offseason. Because if that happens, then the Chiefs will have to say goodbye to a star defensive player that they drafted eight years ago.
Chris Jones on Chiefs’ 2023 Campaign
Speaking to the media after the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in the 2024 Super Bowl, Jones said he’s appreciative of the journey Kansas City took to get to this point.
“So I think it’s more appreciative. You appreciate the journey. You appreciate the grind that you had to go through to get to this point,” Jones explained. “You look at the adversity we had to face early on losing the first game, and losing a big one on Christmas Day and going on the road for our first playoff game. So, there’s been a lot of adversity amongst this team and a lot of growth also. So, that’s the most remarkable thing about how these guys responded in adversity and how we was able to grow and come together.”
Chiefs Re-Upped Joe Cullen
Part of what will help the Chiefs retain Jones is by keeping Jones’s position coach in town. That’s why, according to Schefter, the Chiefs extended defensive line coach Joe Cullen leading up to the Super Bowl.
“Even their defensive line coach, (Joe) Cullen, was in demand by other NFL teams and college teams,” Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show. “Very quietly last week, they got an extension done for him to make sure he doesn’t leave. So they ensured continuity on their staff and the players are going to want to be back.”
On numerous occasions, Jones has credited Cullen for his back-to-back All-Pro seasons. So, keeping Cullen on the coaching staff will give Jones one more reason to stay in Kansas City.
Chiefs 2024 Free Agents
Here’s a list of the Chiefs players who are set to hit free agency in 2024:
Chris Jones
Mecole Hardman
Mike Edwards
Drue Tranquill
Donovan Smith
Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Tommy Townsend
Nick Allegretti
Tershawn Wharton
Prince Tegan Wanogho
James Winchester
Willie Gay Jr.
Blaine Gabbert
Jerick McKinnon
Derrick Nnadi
Richie James
Blake Bell
Deon Bush
L’Jarius Sneed
Jody Fortson
Michael Danna
Jack Cochrane
Nazeeh Johnson
Mike Caliendo
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