Chiefs DT Chris Jones has big incentive up for grabs in AFC Championship
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones has a lot on the line in the AFC Championship.
The 29-year-old star who lost $2 million in fines for missing offseason workouts, training camp and the season opener against the Detroit Lions has hit a few of his incentives after he reported back to the team in Week 2 and signed his new contract.
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Jones’ base salary this season was $19.5 million outside of missing a Week 1 game check that cost him just over $1 million. Jones’ previous incentives that he hit this season were for 35% playing time ($1 million), 50% playing time ($1 million) and getting to 10 sacks ($1.25 million).
He had to beg head coach Andy Reid to stay in the Week 18 game against the Los Angeles Chargers to reach his 10-sack incentive.
Jones’ next incentive will net him another $1 million: first-team All-Pro and a Super Bowl appearance.
With the All-Pro nod already notched, the Chiefs just need to take out the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday to reach their second-straight Super Bowl and fourth in five years, along with getting Jones some more money.
“I expect him to be a dominant force, man,” Chiefs defensive end Mike Danna said on Friday with a smile. “You know what that man can be when he’s got a head full of steam, he’s got something he wants to accomplish. He gets the job done, man.”
Defensive end George Karlaftis was surprised at the potential extra chunk of change but knows that Jones will perform with reckless abandon simply because of the magnitude of Sunday’s game.
“He’s gonna play his heart out regardless, whether it’s the preseason, first game of the season, the AFC Championship,” Karlaftis said. “That’s what he’s always going to do. I don’t think it changes anything for him.”
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Jones is one of the fiercest interior pass rushers in the NFL with ESPN logging him tied for first in pass rush win rate with Los Angeles Rams DT Aaron Donald with a 20% pass rush win rate.
The Mississippi State product has seen the most double teams among the best 20 DTs on the list with a 72% double team rate.
In Week 18, Jones garnered 12 pressures on 31 pass rushes, tied for the most pressures in a game by any pass rusher this season and helped the Chiefs leave LA with a 13-12 win.
If the Chargers game was any indication of money as a motivator for Jones, then a historic performance could be coming in the Chiefs’ first AFC Championship on the road in 30 years.
