The Arizona Cardinals were eager to keep linebacker Chandler Jones after he boosted their pass rush last season. On Monday, which was also Jones’ birthday, the team announced it placed the franchise tag on the 27-year-old. The news was first reported by The MMQB’s Albert Breer.
Chandler Jones gets franchise tag from Cardinals after no new deal is reached
Jones will be with the Cardinals for at least one more year.
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The sides have until July 15 to work out a long-term contract, or else Jones will play out 2017 under the one-year tag. The projected salary for Jones next season will be around $14.75 million.
The Cardinals didn’t make it a secret that they weren’t going to let Jones go anywhere.
“Chandler’s not going anywhere because if we have to, we will franchise him,” head coach Bruce Arians said in his end-of-season press conference.
Team president Michael Bidwill echoed that sentiment on the Doug & Wolf Show on Arizona Sports 98.7.
“He’s a great pass rusher, but if we can’t agree to terms that work for us, we’re just going to franchise him. His people know that,” Bidwill said.
Jones spent the first four years of his career with the New England Patriots, who selected him in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft. He quickly established himself as a top-shelf pass rusher, recording 36 sacks in four years with the Patriots.
With his four-year rookie contract set to expire after the 2015 season, the Patriots exercised their fifth-year option a year early, ensuring he’d stay under contract through 2016. However, Bill Belichick pulled off one of his signature swerves, trading away Jones during the last offseason of his contract. The Cardinals got Jones in exchange for a second-round pick and offensive guard Jonathan Cooper.
Despite the sudden change in environment, Jones continued to produce at a high level for the Cardinals. He racked up 11 sacks, four forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. With Jones’ help, the Cardinals improved from 20th in sacks in 2015 (30) to best in the league in 2016 (48).
Injuries and bad luck led to the Cardinals taking a step back last year, and there are legitimate questions about their contention window with Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald getting up there in age. With that said, there is still a ton of talent on this roster, and Jones is a proven contributor. There are many reasons to believe Arizona can bounce back in 2017.
Jones can be a defensive cornerstone for many years to come if the Cardinals manage to get a long-term deal hammered out.
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