Chris Jones' Contract Lets the Kansas City Chiefs Finally Focus on Football

At its core, professional football is an entertainment product. It's about storylines, high-profile drama, and some incredible athleticism on the field. At the same time, though, being a "soap opera" is usually a bad thing for those within the team. When you're not focusing on football, the entire organizational house of cards can start to wobble.

And while the Kansas City Chiefs weren't anywhere near collapse, things were getting a bit dramatic. Chris Jones was holding out, Travis Kelce missed Week 1, and the defending champs fell flat on opening night. All of a sudden, the metaphorical knives were out.

But now, the worm seems to be turning. Travis Kelce could be ready for Week 2 and, as of Monday, September 11, Jones is coming back into the fold.

That's exactly what the club needed.

Chris Jones has signed a new contract in KC

As noted above, Jones' holdout proved to be a massive storyline during the Chiefs' offseason. Seemingly every practice concluded with questions about his future, and things only got messier once the regular season arrived. With the defensive tackle sitting in a suite—talk about awkward for all parties involved—KC stumbled out of the gate. The defense wasn't really at fault, but Jones' absence didn't help matters.

The holdout is now a thing of the past. On September 11, Ian Rapoport took to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to break the news that Jones came to an agreement with the club, bringing him back into the fold.

Adam Schefter also provided a bit more clarity about the terms of the deal.

"Chris Jones still has one year left on his deal with the Chiefs, no new years were added to his contract, but he received multiple incentives to earn considerably more money this season, per sources," he wrote.

The Chiefs' statement didn't mention the terms of the deal but did provide plenty of praise for their defensive tackle.

"Chris is an elite player in this league, and over the last seven years, he's really developed into a leader on our team," General Manager Brett Veach said. "He's been instrumental to our success and Super Bowl championship runs and it was a priority for us to keep him in a Chiefs uniform. I'd like to thank Chris and his representation, Michael and Jason Katz, for their desire and patience to get this done. Through this process two things were obvious, Chris wanted to be a Chief, and the Katz brothers worked diligently on his behalf."

Now, the Chiefs can get back to focusing on football

While there's no guarantee that Jones will be ready to handle his full workload by Sunday's date with the Jaguars, his return is undeniably good news for the Chiefs. Beyond his on-field impact—which can't be overstated—his presence will help quiet the circus around the team.

Are NFL players highly paid professionals? Of course, but they're still human beings. Dealing with uncertainty and facing constant questions about your peers isn't the recipe for a healthy work environment.

Getting Jones back will mean those questions can cease. And, from a tactical perspective, it means that Kansas City can go back to playing their game. If the Mississippi State man is at the center of the defensive line, everyone else can slide into position. There's no need to overcompensate or play next-man-up.

If you add Kelce back into the equation—Jay Glazer suggested that he could be ready for Week 2—the offense will also get a similar boost. With No. 87 active, everyone can take a step back down the depth chart. It might seem like a small change, but there's a big difference between being the number one option and a secondary receiver. Whether you're talking about facing an easier defensive matchup or simply dealing with less pressure, those are real variables.

While their roster has evolved since last February, it's undeniable that the Kansas City Chiefs possess a talented roster. Now, they're a step closer to putting the distractions behind them and simply playing football.

History has shown that they're pretty good at that.