The Kansas City Chiefs have taken the first step to keeping defensive lineman Chris Jones around for at least another season.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL media, the Chiefs have exercised the option in Jones’ contract, allowing Kansas City the right to slap a franchise tag on him while also paying him $4.25 million in incentives.

Should the Chiefs opt to use the franchise tag on Jones, it would cost them about $32.2 million on a one-year deal. Of course, it would also allow them to negotiate a long-term contract with him between the time they tag him and the middle of July.

Jones is slated to hit free agency next month, but he wants to remain in Kansas City, and the Chiefs certainly want to retain him.

However, given Kansas City’s financial constraints, a new pact may not be so easy.

After all, Jones missed Week 1 of this past season due to a contract dispute with the Chiefs, but the two sides ultimately agreed to a one-year deal to get the star defender back on the field.

In 16 games during the regular season, Jones registered 30 tackles, 10.5 sacks and four passes defended en route to his fifth straight Pro Bowl nod and second consecutive First-Team All-Pro selection.

Jones, who played his collegiate football at Mississippi State, was selected by Kansas City in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

He has racked up 15.5 sacks twice in his career, most recently doing so in 2022.

We’ll see if the Chiefs and Chris Jones are able to agree on a lucrative long-term deal in the coming weeks.

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