Breaking news: Chris Jones insisted that the starting salary for his new contract be $10.5 million, which I think is excessive.

Breaking news: Chris Jones insisted that the starting salary for his new contract be $10.5 million, which I think is excessive.

Just four weeks after winning his third Super Bowl, Chris Jones, the defensive tackle for the Chiefs, signed his third contract with the organization. It’s a monumental deal, not just a big one.

Thanks to a massive five-year, $158.75 million contract, Jones is currently the highest-paid defensive tackle in the league. Jones breaks the previous record held by Rams star Aaron Donald’s three-year, $95 million contract back in 2022 with an average annual value of $31.75 million.

This agreement barely beats out Donald’s previous record by locking in a practical guarantee of $95.3 million over three years. In the comparison, the $100,000 offseason workout bonuses turned out to be crucial.

The Chiefs would have to cut Jones after just one season in order to avoid the significant $95 million commitment, even though the first three years aren’t entirely guaranteed at signing. They would still owe him a sizable $60.2 million for just one season if they went this route.

As for the future, the Chiefs have an option for the next two years. It’s still unclear if they’ll be ready to pay $28.5 million when Jones reaches 32 in 2027 and $33.5 million when he reaches 33. Time will tell.