Chiefs place franchise tag on DT Chris Jones

The Kansas City Chiefs have placed the nonexclusive franchise tag on Chris Jones, raising the possibility that the Pro Bowl defensive tackle will remain with the Super Bowl champions for at least one more season.

The nonexclusive tag means Jones must be offered a one-year contract for no less than the average of the top five salary cap hits at defensive tackle for the previous five years. It also means that if Jones signs an offer sheet from another team, the Chiefs can match that offer or let him go and receive two first-round picks as compensation.

Jones had 15 1/2 sacks two seasons ago, which spurred his desire for a long-term deal. He wound up skipping the entire offseason when that didn’t happen, but he returned in time for training camp and started 12 of 13 games. He finished with nine sacks and helped the Chiefs win their first Super Bowl title since 1970.