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Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones could sit until the team addresses his contract status.

Jones, 25, was assigned the franchise designation in March before he was eligible to reach free agency. If Jones plays on the one-year tag, the tender would pay him $16.1 million for the 2020 season.



NFL Network reported it’s unlikely Jones will receive the $20 million-per-year deal he seeks this offseason.

Jones replied to a video discussing his situation on NFL Network hinting that holding out into the regular season might be an option.

“Or I won’t play. @LeVeonBell told me about this,” Jones wrote.

Bell sat out the 2018 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers because he was resistant to the team applying the franchise tag for a second straight season. In March 2019, Bell signed with the New York Jets upon reaching free agency for the first time in his career.

Bell quickly recognized Jones’ statement with support via Twitter, “@StoneColdJones knows what he doin, trust.”

The Chiefs have their own set of contract matters to deal with and Jones might not be first in line.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is in line for what many expect to be a landmark deal given his age and success. Mahomes was NFL MVP in 2018 and won the Super Bowl with the Chiefs last season.



–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)