KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chris Jones was among six players absent from the Kansas City Chiefs' first day of mandatory minicamp, as it officially began Tuesday.
Tight end Blake Bell, offensive lineman Trey Smith, defensive tackle Tarrick Wharton, who is coming off a torn ACL, and running backs Jerrick McKinnon and Isiah Pacheco, the latter still recovering from offseason surgeries, also were among the absences from the first day of minicamp.
No Chris Jones https://t.co/w8iFqvdGYu
— McKenzie Nelson (@McKenzieMNelson) June 13, 2023
Safety Mike Edwards and cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and L'Jarius Sneed were present at minicamp but did not wear helmets.
It is unclear if Jones' absence is in conjunction with a holdout for a new contract.
Jones is heading into the last year of a 4-year contract worth $80 million he signed in July 2020.
He is set to count over $28.2 million against the salary cap next season and is coming off a career year in which he tied a career-high 15.5 sacks last year, earning a place on the All-Pro team for the first time in his career, and finishing third in AP Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach told reporters after the 2023 NFL Draft in May that a Jones extension was among "the list of things to do" this offseason, but Veach didn't seem too concerned about it at the time.
“We’ll spend time and obviously we have a great relationship with Chris and his staff, so we’ll get to work and see what we can do,” Veach said previously.
Reports allege Jones is looking for around a three or four-year contract in addition to becoming the second-highest-paid defensive tackle in the league, right behind Los Angeles Rams superstar Aaron Donald, who is making over $31 million per year on average with $95 million in total guarantees.
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