Chiefs Make First Massive Investment Since Signing Patrick Mahomes
The Kansas City Chiefs have made it quite clear this offseason that they are gunning toward staying in Super Bowl contention for the long haul. That saw them secure star quarterback Patrick Mahomes under his record-breaking extension. It hasn’t stopped there for Kansas City as they had another pending situation to care of this week. With that in mind, the Chiefs have finally hammered out their next massive deal in the wake of Mahomes’ contract.
Chiefs’ busy offseason more than just Patrick Mahomes
Coming off their first Super Bowl win in five decades, the Chiefs have approached the offseason methodically to keep themselves at the top of the league.
That has seen them first handle wide receiver Sammy Watkins’ contract with a restructured deal. Although it came a few months later, Kansas City dealt with the big elephant in the room with Mahomes’ massive extension to keep him with the franchise for the next decade-plus.
It shifted the team’s attention to what the team has next in line with their star defensive tackle Chris Jones’ contract situation with him geared toward playing the 2020 season on the franchise tag. With that in mind, the Chiefs have taken care of business to get that potential long-term headache.
Chiefs ink Chris Jones to a new deal before deadline
In the days following Patrick Mahomes’ record-breaking deal, the attention in Kansas City shifted over to star defensive tackle Chris Jones. There had been much chatter around him that included the possibility of him sitting out the 2020 season if a new deal wasn’t in place before the extension deadline on Wednesday afternoon.
That created real internal concern around the situation with Jones desiring a new deal to keep him with the franchise for the long haul. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the 26-year-old got his wish on Tuesday as he agreed to a massive four-year, $85 million extension with $60 million guaranteed.
The deal includes $37 million at signing with $60 million guaranteed for injury with $5 million incentives. Jones had been set to have the franchise tag worth $16.1 million for the 2020 campaign. He has been an anchor on their defensive front as he has racked up 33.0 sacks, seven forced fumbles, and 136 total tackles since entering the league as the 67th overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft.
He has earned a Pro Bowl selection, a Second-Team All-Pro nod, and was a critical piece in helping the team earn their first Super Bowl win in 50 years. Beyond that, the new deal will keep him in the fold as a cornerstone piece for the Chiefs’ defensive for the next several years.
Chiefs ready to contend for another Super Bowl
The Chiefs have quickly put their money where their mouth as they have proved that Patrick Mahomes’ massive extension wouldn’t prevent them from retaining a key piece to the puzzle.
Granted, it was a front-loaded deal with Chris Jones that still keeps him in the fold for the next few seasons. The Chiefs are in the position to make another run toward the Super Bowl as the clear-cut favorites in the 2020 season. The move to sign Jones to that gigantic extension shows how much they value his presence in their defense and how critical he is to their overall success.
The Chiefs can move forward this offseason with their focus directly on repeating as Super Bowl champions. It will be the first time that they have the targets on their back, which could lead to a stiffer challenge to move toward that ultimate goal. Nonetheless, the motivation is there to push forward to secure another Vince Lombardi trophy.
