Chris Jones in New Interview: 'Truthfully, This Could Be My Last Year with the Chiefs'
Kansas City Chiefs superstar defensive lineman Chris Jones had a tumultuous offseason ahead of his 2023 campaign. He missed all of the Chiefs' offseason activities, training camp, and Week 1 of the season due to a lengthy holdout that resulted in a surprisingly short-term resolution. After Week 1, Jones agreed to a reworked one-year contract to keep him in Kansas City through the 2023 season. Jones received a deal with extra incentives, and the Chiefs ended his holdout without a multi-year extension.
Jones has now recorded 7.5 sacks in his 10 games this season, all while being the focal point of the Chiefs' excellent defensive unit. However, with Jones set to hit free agency if not franchise-tagged by the Chiefs, Jones's long-term status in Kansas City remains uncertain. In a new interview, Jones himself discussed the possibility of a future beyond Kansas City.
Chris Jones on the business of the NFL and future with the Chiefs
Sitting down with Michael Smith ahead of the Chiefs' Sunday Night Football matchup with the Green Bay Packers on NBC, Jones opened up about how he envisions his immediate and long-term future with the Chiefs. Smith asked Jones how he balances the business side of football with the on-field demands.
"I never really take it personal, man," Jones said. "You know, the business is the business aspect of it, man. It's a tough business. It's a cutthroat business. And you can't get too involved with your feelings about it. This could, if we're speaking truthfully, this could be my last year with the Chiefs. Am I gonna hate the Chiefs for it? Am I gonna down the Chiefs for it? No. I understand the business of it, you know what I mean? So, I can respect the reality of things, you know? So, I never put my feelings in the business part of it."
Smith followed up by asking Jones if that fact — that this could be his final season with the Chiefs — adds any more urgency to his desire to win another Super Bowl in KC, and if that is in Jones's mind.
"It ain't," Jones said. "Because, hypothetically speaking, if this is my last year, I've given this organization everything I have. I have exhausted everything, so if this is my last year, I'm super thankful. Hopefully it's not, but if it is, I'm super grateful for the Chiefs organization and I've poured everything into this."
Smith asked about Jones's future one more time, asking Jones how he envisions the upcoming offseason playing out.
"I don't even think about it," Jones said. "Because when you start thinking about things, trying to plan, nothing really goes as planned, right? It's always a curveball. It's always something that comes up and is like, 'Oh well I had this plan, now but—,' so I don't think about it. After the season, we'll evaluate, see where we're at and hopefully it's still with the Chiefs."
