Chandler Jones, Raiders Reportedly Agree to 3-Year, $51M Contract

According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, veteran pass-rusher Chandler Jones is close to a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network says the deal will be worth over $50 million over three years.

He has been with the Arizona Cardinals for six years. The writing was on the wall after Jeremy Fowler requested a trade amid a contract dispute.

J.J. Watt received a two-year, $28 million contract from the Cards, and the team gave two-year, $54.5 million and four-year, $59 million extensions to two other players.

If Arizona didn't want to give Jones an extension before the season, then the stance wouldn't change. The front office did not allow sentiment to get in the way of watching Patrick Peterson walk as a free agent.

Jones was limited to five games in 2020 because of a bicep injury, which may have raised questions about his value.

He earned his fourth Pro Bowl nod after returning to form in 2021, finishing with ten sacks, 41 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and six forced turnovers.

Jones might have priced himself out of a return to Arizona because of how little wiggle room the Cards have with the salary cap. He was ranked as the third-best free agent by Pro Football Focus.

"The 2019 season saw Jones go from solid to elite as a pass-rusher, and he's maintained that status ever since. He attacks tackles with a full array of pass-rush moves and he's an effective run defender, though he's taken a step back in that department over the past two years."

The New York native was too old to give Arizona a hometown discount. This is likely his last chance to make a lot of money.

Jones is on the wrong end of the aging curve, but he has not shown a reason why his performance will fall off a cliff.

Campbell, Peppers, Suggs, and Wake are just a few of the players who have registered at least 10 sacks in a season after turning 32.

After a disastrous second half of last year, the Cards want to get back on track and contend for a Super Bowl in 2022.

When it comes to retaining their best players, smart front offices find a way to make the money work. It has been turned into an art form by the New Orleans Saints.

Maybe Steve Keim could give Jones a market-level contract while fitting him in under the cap. It will look like a mistake if Jones has another productive season with the Raiders.

Las Vegas made the playoffs for the first time in three years last season.

The path back only gets harder with the addition of quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Russell Wilson. Jones will try to slow those offenses down for the Raiders.