Chiefs to utilize non-exclusive franchise tag on Chris Jones, here’s what’s next
The Chiefs are making an expected move Monday by placing a franchise tag on defensive tackle Chris Jones.
But the choice of the designation carries significance.
The Chiefs are using the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jones, a source told The Star. The team later confirmed the specific designation used on Jones.
Like an exclusive designation, the non-exclusive tags carries a one-year tender of a total no less than the average of the top five salaries at the position group. The difference between the two comes down to whether a player can negotiate with another team as a franchised player.
An exclusive tag means just that, a player is exclusive to the club.
The non-exclusive designation would allow Jones to negotiate other team on a contract. The Chiefs, however, would have the right to match any offer. If the Chiefs elected to not match an offer, they would receive two first-round picks as compensation.
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said last month at the NFL Scouting Combine that keeping Jones was a priority.
And there’s little doubt Jones, who made a base salary of $1.9 million in 2019, has earned the right to a large pay raise comparable to some of the NFL’s elite defensive players.
Despite missing three games last season because of a groin injury, Jones led the Chiefs defense with a team-high nine sacks en route to his first career Pro Bowl selection. He added 36 tackles and a team-high 20 quarterback hits in 13 games on 655 defensive snaps.
In four seasons with the Chiefs, he has totaled 33 sacks, including a career-high 15 1/2 sacks in 2018.
This story was originally published March 16, 2020 at 10:28 AM.
