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Chris Jones choosing to sit until Week 8 could complicate Chiefs' betting odds

The Kansas City Chiefs could be without defensive tackle Chris Jones for roughly half of the regular season if he’s not signed to a new deal.

Responding to an unhappy fan who expressed his disappointment on Twitter for Jones holding out, the star defensive player indicated that he might not show up for football activities this season until Week 8 if contract negotiations don’t tilt in his favor.

Jones is set to be a free agent in 2024 and clearly wants a pay raise before taking the field again for the Chiefs.

He counts roughly $28 million on the Kansas City cap right now, which indicates that it’s not how much he’s making this season as much as it’s guaranteeing his fair compensation for the years to come.

Until the Chiefs work out a new deal, it appears Jones is more than happy letting things stay as they are.

Jones also indicated that he’s got plenty of resources to pay any team fines he may incur from his absence.

The Chiefs still sit at a league-best +600 odds for the Super Bowl this season at FanDuel, but Jones missing games could knock that down just a bit.

On the field, Kansas City would start the season without Jones and 2022 standout Khalen Saunders at defensive tackle, with the latter signing with the New Orleans Saints this past spring. Losing Saunders was more palatable because Jones was on the roster.

The team will have to rely on guys like Derrick Nnadi, Tershawn Wharton, rookie Keondre Coburn and Danny Shelton on the interior of the defensive line until Jones returns.

Where the odds could really shift is with Jones’ status as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. He’s already indicated that this is an honor that he wants to win this season, but not getting playing time on the field will take those chances down drastically.

FanDuel has Jones at +2500 right now to win the NFL’s top award for defensive players, but don’t expect that to stay as it is if Jones’ holdout continues into the season.

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