08 January 2024 , 17:01
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Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle, Chris Jones, secured a whopping £1 million ($1.25 million) bonus thanks to his performance against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Chiefs claimed a 13-12 win over the Chargers in Week 18 of the NFL regular season, finishing the year with an 11-6 record having already clinched a spot in the play-offs.
Despite already securing a place in the post-season before the game at SoFi Stadium, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid decided to keep Jones on the field for most of the contest. Jones has proven himself a key player for the Chiefs this season, racking up 10.5 sacks and 30 tackles in the 16 games he's played.
Jones' sack on Chargers quarterback Easton Stick earned him a sizable bonus. The sack occurred in the third quarter when the Chargers were in the red zone looking to score a touchdown and take the lead. After sacking Stick, Jones ran towards the sideline to celebrate with his teammates, including Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
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Jones activated the six-figure bonus in his contract with the Chiefs and immediately announced that he would be gifting his defensive line teammates and coaches as a thank-you for their support in reaching his contract incentive.
"The whole [defensive line] gets a Rolex,'' Jones told reporters on Sunday, via ESPN. "[Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo] gets a Rolex, the coaches get a Rolex because I think it takes a collective [effort] in order to reach those types of goals.''
Jones also shared that Coach Reid had initially planned to take him out of the game in order to rest ahead of the play-offs. However, Jones managed to persuade Reid to let him stay on the field long enough to secure the sack he needed for his bonus.
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"I had to beg him for one more series,'' said Jones. "He gave me the finger like, 'One more and you're done.' So I went on the field praying to God like, 'Oh my God, please.'
"One quarter turned to two quarters. So thankful to Coach Reid that he allowed me to play because this was more so about the bye week. I didn't have to play, but the team allowed me to play. So super grateful.''
After securing their record eighth consecutive AFC West title, the Chiefs are set to face the No.6 seed Miami Dolphins on Super Wild Card Weekend's Sunday slate of games.
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