The Kansas City Chiefs are already hoping for a miracle with a Travis Kelce injury comeback on Thursday night. Is it too much to ask the football gods for a resolution to the Chris Jones contract extension saga as well?
It has been speculated that Jones, since he missed practices this week which were preparations for the game on Thursday, would not be able to play in Week 1 even if the Chiefs got a deal done this week. Getting back up to speed on conditioning and playbook items in such short order is a big ask.
Turns out, Jones thinks he can go if the Chiefs sign him. If there was ever a reason to push the contract negotiation to Threat Level: Midnight, now is the time.
NFL reports suggest Chris Jones could play Thursday if signed before kickoff
Nick Bosa got paid on Wednesday, which puts pressure on the Chiefs front office. As Mike Garafolo points out, Jones now has a $14 million tangible gap to point to and ask the Chiefs to justify in negotiations on his new deal.
Here's what Garafolo said about Jones and the possibility of him playing:
"It can get done at a moment's notice. There's no indication right now that things are imminent, but Jones is saying if a deal gets done, he could play tomorrow in the opener."
Jones insistence that he can play might not be totally meaningful. Ultimately, he's one party, but the Chiefs coaching or medical staff could say he's not fit to play, even if his new deal is completed before kickoff Thursday night.
That said, Jones has been in the system for years. It's not as if his role with this particular scheme will be drastically different.
It's definitely a power play to leak out that he feels he's ready to pay considering it puts even more pressure on the Chiefs, optically, to make sure their best players are ready to go for Week 1.
Previous reports have said the deal isn't exactly straightforward, too, but maybe Bosa's deal serves as the anchor point that allows the movement to be made up to the $84 million over three years Jones reportedly wants.
