Chiefs Given Props for 'Critical' Retention of Chris Jones

One prominent NFL analyst indicates that Kansas City's top offseason move was keeping its star defensive tackle in town.

Dec 10, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) rallies the crowd during the second half against the Buffalo Bills at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports / Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Following their Super Bowl LVIII win over the San Francisco 49ers, the Kansas City Chiefs were faced with one of the most important stretches in franchise history.

Would general manager Brett Veach keep the entire crew together, or would he part ways with one of his big-time defensive stars in order to maintain flexibility? How would that impact his spending elsewhere? Those questions were answered in a major way right around the start of free agency, as All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones was re-signed to a five-year contract.

That move is quite easily the biggest of Kansas City's offseason thus far, but Veach did complete several other key transactions. One of them was trading cornerback L'Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans, which provided the champs with more salary cap room and backed the investment in Jones.

One prominent NFL analyst believes it was the most favorable outcome.

In a recent article for The Athletic, senior NFL writer Mike Sando singled out the one offseason decision from each team he liked the most. For the Chiefs, it was bringing back Jones and putting the organization in a good spot to pursue a three-peat of championships. Sando believes Sneed can be replaced but finding someone to fill Jones's shoes would've been more difficult.

"Keeping Chris Jones was critical for the defense, even if it meant trading L’Jarius Sneed to the Titans instead of paying him as well," Sando wrote. "Kansas City has picked its spots in terms of making some moves for the long term (trading Tyreek Hill) and others for the short term (opening the checkbook for Jones). It’s hard to dispute Jones’ value to the defense, especially in critical situations. Keeping him gives the Chiefs their best shot at winning a third consecutive Super Bowl. The Chiefs’ recent track record developing cornerbacks suggests they’ll be able to replace Sneed."

It's hard to disagree with Sando's logic. Sneed played at an elite level last season, but Trent McDuffie did as well and Veach has a proven track record of finding good cornerback value in the draft. Jones, a five-time Pro Bowler, has recorded double-digit sacks in consecutive seasons and is the centerpiece of the defense. There wasn't an easy way to restore his lost production by aggregating multiple producers. Re-signing him, regardless of salary, was a wise move.

The parallels to Kansas City's recent methods of operation are interesting. Hill's contract situation sent the offensive side of the ball into a mini-reset of sorts after he was traded. Instead of doubling down on that strategy, Veach and Co. backed up the Brinks truck for Jones and sent a clear message in doing so.

Jones is a core championship piece of a dynasty, so any call to lock him up long-term was worthy of being met with praise. Since then, the arc of the offseason only helps make it look better.

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