9 Quotes to Know From Monday’s Chiefs Press Conference

9 Quotes to Know From Monday’s Chiefs Press Conference

On Monday, the Kansas City Chiefs hosted a Zoom press conference for the media with defensive tackle Chris Jones, general manager Brett Veach and head coach Andy Reid to field questions regarding Jones’ four-year extension – worth up to $85 million dollars – that was finalized last week.

Brett Veach on the Chiefs ability to retain so much talent:

“Yeah, we certainly had some obstacles to overcome. I wouldn’t say we were surprised because we were driven and determined this whole time. At the Combine, I said that we were going to be at work and really lay our plan out, and our plan was to do a lot of the things that we’ve done this offseason. And right at the top of that list was Pat Mahomes and Chris Jones, and everyone knew that. When you have two elite players – you don’t find these guys, you just don’t draft them year-after-year, these guys come once every couple years, Chris is not a guy that you can just find in any draft – so when you have a player that talented, that special, you’re driven and determined. I think it took longer than we anticipated just because of the unknown. I would say that we weren’t surprised because we were driven and determined to make sure that Chris Jones was a Kansas City Chief.”

Andy Reid on Chris Jones’ energy & how signing him to this contract extension fits into the outlook of the defense for the next few years:

“He comes to work with a smile on his face and works hard. And people can misunderstand his vivacious personality and substitute in that he might not be as smart because he’s having a good time. But he’s a brilliant kid, he’s been right in touch with this whole thing here. He goes about football the same way, when it’s time to crank it down, he knows everything by every position that’s going on, and wants to know. Those are the kind of guys that we like having on the football team. We throw a lot at them at all positions and you want guys that can digest it. Chris is able to do that, still keep a smile on his face, still bring energy every day. That helps guys feed on it, especially during the tough times.”

Chris Jones on what’s stood out to him about his journey up to this point in his career:

“The hard work that I actually put in to get here, where I’m at today. Actually, thinking about sleeping on a two-seater couch. That’s the first thing I did when I signed the deal, I called my grandmother and we actually talked about me sleeping on her living room couch. It was a two-seater, it came from her living room, it was so old, so we put it in her dining room and got a new living room set and that was my bed for the end of my junior year and my senior year of high school, I slept on a couch, and we just talked and cried about it. When you go back and look at those times and reminisce and it makes you really grateful for this.”

Chris Jones on whether or not his tweets suggesting he might not play on the franchise tag this year (if it had come down to that) were serious:

“For me personally, I kind of had a feeling that a deal was going to get done. As soon as Pat’s deal got done, he texted me and said, “let’s get this thing done.” That’s when I had the feeling that we were going to work it out with something. They made it seem like they were going to get something done.”

“A lot of stuff I Tweet and a lot of stuff I post, you can’t look into it too much because sometimes there are mixed signals. When I actually go back and look at my texts or my Tweets, I can kind of see how people get mixed signals. But if I read something, and I feel like I like it, I like to broadcast it. I’m one of those people. I like to let people see how I think and what I read, and I do it through posting on my social media. I feel like people can kind of take social media too serious sometimes.”

Brett Veach on how Chris Jones’ outspokenness played a part in their negotiations:

“As we were working through this process, the Katz brothers did an amazing job of just showing their patience and being understanding of the current climate. We met at the combine and we told them, ‘listen, this is a priority. Chris Jones will be a Chief, but help us navigate this free agency process and we’ll be in good shape.’ As soon as we got through that process, the coronavirus hit and everything got turned upside down. It would’ve been very easy for Chris and the Katz brothers to get upset, but they understood. They understood the climate and they understood that things are going to get done, it just will take longer than anticipated. I go back to just being able to express our commitment to Chris and just getting through the free agency period and the pandemic, while also understanding that we’re navigating Patrick Mahomes’ contract. They trusted us and believed that once we had all of the information that we needed and got some things in order, that we were going to address Chris Jones. One of the things that got taken the wrong way was our commitment and appreciation for Chris Jones and how the Chiefs feel, and this and that. But the whole time, Chris and his agents knew how much we loved him and that we were going to do absolutely everything we could to keep him here. The reason why there wasn’t a lot of talking was because both sides needed more information. The reality of it is that we love Chris and certainly wanted him here, and his agents believed in us. We were able to get this done through hard work and a lot of trust and dialogue.”

Brett Veach on what makes Chris Jones so unique as a player:

“He’s unblockable. As an interior pass rusher, with his size, his athleticism, his quickness, you know, it takes two guys to block him. All you have to do see what he did in the Super Bowl against a very good 49er team. You can’t and you have to put two bodies on him. Again, he’s a young guy and he’s just scratching the surface. He’s going to continue to get better and better. Chris has stated that when we announced via Twitter his signing that his goals were to be player of the year. Believe me, talentwise, there is no stopping him. If he can stay healthy and just keep on this upward trajectory, there’s no doubt in my mind that he has all of the tools to do that.”

Brett Veach on the time it took to get Chris Jones’ deal done:

V“We would’ve loved to get something done last season. I think that when you have a player as talented as Chris, the sooner you can get something done, the better. What I do think is that it’s a great example of Chris’ maturity as a person and as a pro. Chris wanted to get something done and we weren’t able to do that last year. In addition to that, we felt going into the last offseason that after losing Justin Houston and Dee Ford, that we had to add another elite playmaker to go along with Chris. We trade a pick, we get Frank [Clark] and we get Frank a contract. We want to do something with Chris, we can’t get it done, but there was always communication that we will get something done, just be patient. It would’ve been very easy for Chris to show up late or to complain, but Chris was dedicated to this team and he wanted to win a Super Bowl. The really cool thing that Coach and I talk about all the time is how Chris was going to handle the first few weeks of practice with Frank and being a little disappointed. Within a few days, I remember seeing Chris and Frank just hitting it off. I said this is going to be pretty cool because Frank has a lot of respect for Chris because he knows how good he is, and Chris has a lot of respect for Frank. Now we’re here a year later, and both of these guys have been secured by the Chiefs. Again, it’s a special relationship that those two have and the fact we’re able to compensate both of them for their services on the field, is a cool deal for us and now they can just go out there and do what they do.”

Chris Jones on the emotional roller coaster this last year has been waiting for this deal to get done:

“Now, look, just because I have a crazy emotional face or facial expression, I’m always out there anytime I step on the field, so once I appeared in camp, there was no – I told my agents and Veach, I told them no contract talks. Let’s focus on football for this year. I think we did it and it was about being patient. I knew going into this year, you know, next year we can talk about a contract. This stage, COVID came about, and getting Pat’s deal done. Pat’s deal was important and, you know, the patience through that. I kind of understand it. Whatever happens, happens. I’m big into my faith, and making sure that whatever happens, God’s got me covered. To me, I always wanted to stay with the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s not about being the highest-paid player. It’s about getting what you deserve and what you think can fit you. I think me and the Chiefs came to an agreement at a certain number, we both agreed to, and we made it happen. But most importantly being patient with an organization and understanding that no matter what, you determine your own destiny.”

Chris Jones on staying hungry:

“For me, it’s nothing changes. It’s all about being the best I can be. It’s all about being the sack leader, winning Defensive Player of the Year. I’m always pushing myself to new heights. It’s one of the check marks on my journey. This is not the end of my journey, but this is just the beginning. I’m thankful I’m able to stay with the Chiefs, build a dynasty, create something special. But for me, it’s all about having a Hall of Fame career, getting a gold jacket. If somebody told me I could choose $20 million or 20 sacks, I’d choose the sacks every day. That’s just where my mind is, where my heart is. Give me sacks, winning championship rings. Having fun, enjoying the process. That’s where I’m at right now. The money, it’s good to be financially stable to where I can give my kids and my family things that I wasn’t fortunate to have when I was coming up, but for me, the game is bigger than just financial. It’s my passion. It’s what I love to do, and I want to get the gold jacket.”

You can watch the press conference in full here: