Chiefs GM: No intention of trading Jones despite contract holdout
The Kansas City Chiefs have no intention of trading away star defensive tackle Chris Jones amid his ongoing holdout for a new extension.
"I think for all parties, I think the best resolution would be for him to end his career as a Chief — and get that financial security — and for us to do what we had set out to do, and that's to work through last offseason with this offseason in mind and get some young guys, which we did that, and then focus on this year and getting Chris done," Veach said, according to the Kansas City Star's Jesse Newell.
"Hopefully, we get this resolved, but we have no intentions of making a trade," he added.
The four-time Pro Bowler has stayed away from Chiefs camp as the two sides attempt to hammer out a lucrative new deal. Jones was reportedly seeking a deal that would earn him $30 million per season. Aaron Donald remains the highest-paid defensive tackle with an average annual salary of $31.6 million, according to Over the Cap.
Jones is entering the final year of a four-year, $80 million contract signed in July 2020 and will earn around $20 million in 2023. However, Jones has been subject to $50,000 fines for each day he's missed during training camp.
Veach is adamant that Kansas City is not considering moving on from Jones, even though the team traded Tyreek Hill in March of 2022 after the two sides failed to agree to a new contract.
"You have to keep in mind that when we did make that move with Tyreek, one of the determining factors was because there was an expected Chris Jones deal," Veach said.
The Chiefs' general manager also noted that the team's salary cap was in a better position after trading Hill away for multiple draft picks. Veach also said that the team "wouldn't be as good without" Jones and his goal during negotiations is to have him on the team for the foreseeable future.
The league saw plenty of defensive tackles cash in during the offseason. Quinnen Williams, Jeffery Simmons, and Daron Payne were just some of the positional players to secure lucrative extensions.