Patrick Mahomes Can Help Kansas City Chiefs Increase Cap Space To $57 Million, Keep Chris Jones

The Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory was unquestionably significant for the team. But Chris Jones will have to be in the starting lineup for the team to maintain its momentum in the upcoming campaign. Thankfully, Patrick Mahomes’ contract holds the key to achieving that.

The Chiefs have recently exercised Jones’ contract option to retain his services indefinitely. This is the latest development following concerns about the defensive tackle’s future with the team since the beginning of the previous campaign.

Because he wanted a contract closer to Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams, Jones held out at that point. He then consented to a one-year deal following the Kansas City Chiefs’ defeat by the Detroit Lions.

Jones played a crucial role in the Chiefs’ victory in the Super Bowl and their recent success. During the previous offseason, he also stated that he would like to return to Kansas City and receive a higher salary.

Chris Jones’s future with the Kansas City Chiefs depends on Patrick Mahomes’ contract next season.

There is still hope for the Chiefs, even though their 2024 salary cap might not have been able to support that. Mahomes’ contract needs to be restructured in order to make this move happen. “As of right now, according to Roster Management System, the Chiefs project to be about $21.2 million under the 2024 cap,” reads an ESPN article written by Dan Graziano. (The 2024 cap amount is not yet known, but most teams in the league appear to be operating under a projected $242 million cap.) If they wanted to accommodate Jones’ franchise tag, they would have to make room.

The Mahomes factor: With eight years remaining on his contract and the perpetual ability to convert salary to bonuses and clear cap space, Mahomes’ contract is one of the best tools the Chiefs have at their disposal for these moves. His 2024 cap number would drop from its current $58.6 million to about $23 million if the Chiefs completely restructured his 2024 compensation, converting all of it save the mandatory $1.21 million veteran minimum salary to a signing bonus and also converting his $34.9 million roster bonus to a signing bonus.
Their estimated cap space would rise to approximately $57 million just from those savings. To put it plainly, if they franchise Mahomes, the savings from that unavoidable contract restructuring will be nearly equal to Jones’ cap cost, according to Graziano.

The Chiefs’ chances of continuing their NFL dynasty will undoubtedly improve if they are able to retain Jones and give him the bag he deserves. Either way, it would be prudent to monitor Mahomes and the terms of his contract in the days ahead.

Get more related updates on https://sportviewers.com/