Chris Jones After Contract Extension: 'Clark Hunt is an A-Plus in My Book'
Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones signed a long-term contract with the team shortly before the start of free agency, effectively guaranteeing Jones $95 million over the first three years of the five-year deal. Jones spoke to members of the media on Tuesday, discussing his past, present and future in Kansas City while also delivering an endorsement of Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt, with an apparent nod to a recent story that didn't paint Hunt in a positive light.
Asked about Hunt's involvement, Jones highlighted several people who helped bring his massive new deal together.
"To be honest with you, there are three guys who are the reason this deal got done: Clark Hunt, Brett Veach and the Katz brothers," Jones said. "We were able to work with the Hunt family so understandingly. Through the midst of the journey, holding out and actually coming to the game, there are so many ways that can be viewed as an owner, and he was so patient and so understanding. I think we both eagerly wanted this deal to get done. So, in my eyes, Clark Hunt is an A-plus in my book."
Jones's final words of that answer seem to allude to Hunt's poor standing in the most recent round of NFLPA report cards, where Hunt finished 32nd among 32 owners with an F-minus grade. The ownership grades in the survey were specifically meant to address owners' willingness to invest in facilities, and the players had significant issues with KC's practice facilities and locker room, but Jones rightfully highlighted his own long contract process when discussing Hunt's involvement.
Jones also tweeted something similar shortly after reports of his deal became public: "Clark Hunt! [handshake emoji] A+," he posted.
Hunt released a statement about Jones after his contract was official, highlighting his impact on the team through three Super Bowl championships and KC's quest to continue adding to that total with a chance at a three-peat.
"I’d like to congratulate Chris and his family, along with Brett Veach and his staff, on getting this well-deserved deal done before free agency," Hunt said in a press release. "Chris belongs in a Chiefs uniform. He’s an elite player in the National Football League, a key component to our defense, and a leader in the locker room. We’ve felt his impact on the field and in the community. Over the last several years, he’s been essential to our success in winning multiple Super Bowls, and we know that he’ll play a vital role in sustaining that success moving forward."
However contentious negotiations got (and, as Jones mentioned, however tense things may have been when Jones attended the Chiefs' loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 1 instead of playing in it), both sides were able to come to terms to keep Jones in KC for the long haul, giving Jones a chance to keep chasing rings and to potentially spend his entire career in Kansas City.
