Kelce begs Jones to end holdout: 'You're really scaring me, man'
Travis Kelce really wants teammate Chris Jones to return to the Kansas City Chiefs - and the star tight end isn't above begging.
"Ah man, Chris, can you please come back? You're really scaring me, man. I don't get it," said Kelce on his "New Heights" podcast. "You must know something that I don't know because I just don't get it.
"I really want to get another Super Bowl ring with you, brother. This is me bargaining you to just come back and play football for the Chiefs. Please, we need you. We need you bad. And I don't know what the situation is."
While Travis is desperate for Jones to come back, his brother, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, is hoping the star defensive tackle stays away as long as possible.
"Well, I think the situation is you guys aren't paying him enough, and I think he should hold off as long as possible, especially past, when do we play? Week 10. Week 10!" joked Jason.
The veteran Jones is subject to a $50,000 daily fine for his training camp absence as part of the NFL's collective bargaining agreement. He could miss game checks if his holdout extends into the regular season.
The 29-year-old - who's entering the final year of a four-year, $80-million extension inked in 2020 - is reportedly seeking a deal worth more than $30 million per season. Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald currently tops all non-quarterbacks with a contract that averages $31.6 million.
The Chiefs said they have no intention of trading Jones, who was key to the club's Super Bowl success last season. He finished with a career-high 15.5 sacks and was third in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Kansas City opens its season Thursday, Sept. 7 against the Detroit Lions.