'No Time Soon!' Ravens Free Agent Target Chris Jones Re-Signing With Chiefs?

Soon-to-be free agent defensive tackle Chris Jones sat out all of Kansas City Chiefs training camp and missed the first game of the season last year while holding out without a contract. He signed a one-year, $19.5 million deal on Sept. 11 and played in the remaining 16 games, taking 695 snaps. Jones registered 10.5 sacks and 30 tackles.

This season, without a contract, he's taking a different approach.

If he hits the free agent market, he'll most likely be courted by a ton of teams, including the Ravens. But Jones says he'll be back in KC this year, next year, and the following year. That gives the impression he's working on a three-year deal with the Chiefs and that it might even be close to complete.

But per Pro Football Talk who cites a source with knowledge of the situation, an agreement between Jones and the Chiefs is expected "no time soon."

That's good news for Baltimore and any other team that hopes to make a run for Jones.

The Chiefs could choose to place the franchise tag on Jones, and if so, that number would be $32.16 million based on his 2023 cap number of $26.808 million. that means if Kansas City, or any other team, hopes to sign Jones to a long-term deal, the starting number is $32.16 million APY.

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But what if another team wants to swoop in and overpay for Jones' services? It happens frequently. But there's also the appeal of running it back with the Chiefs in an attempt to be the first team in the history of the NFL to win three straight Super Bowls.

The clock is ticking for Jones and the Chiefs as the NFL free-agent period starts March 13.