Chris Jones didn’t need to test free agency to get a record-setting contract.
After making the Pro Bowl in each of the last five seasons and First-Team All-Pro in the last two, Jones reportedly agreed to a five-year extension that includes $95 million guaranteed with the Chiefs.
Jones will have the highest-ever salary for a defensive tackle, surpassing Aaron Donald’s ($31.6 million), according to his agents.
In the end, after more than a year of negotiating, Jones, 30, did not have to take a hometown discount to keep competing for Super Bowls.
He has won three rings as the best player on the other side of the ball from Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
Jones held out through the first game of last season — a loss to the Lions — before signing an enhanced one-year contract that made it possible for the Chiefs to franchise tag him this offseason.
Perhaps knowing that would create bad blood, the Chiefs instead franchise-tagged cornerback L’Jarius Sneed — with the possibility of trading him — and risked Jones testing the open market by giving up leverage.
Instead, the two sides got a deal done about 36 hours before free-agent tampering begins at noon Monday.
Jones had made it known to the crowd at the Chiefs’ Super Bowl 58 victory parade last month that he wanted to stay with the Chiefs.
The less-accomplished but younger Justin Madubuike signed a four-year, $98 million extension ($75.5 million guaranteed) with the Ravens on Friday.
If that set a bar, Jones cleared it by a distance, with all the guaranteed money reportedly due in the first three years of the contract.
Jones initially was ranked No. 2 on The Post’s list of the top 30 free agents available.
Among defensive players, the 49ers’ Nick Bosa ($119.9 million), Chargers’ Joey Bosa ($102 million) and Browns’ Myles Garrett ($102 million) have more guaranteed money in their contracts than Jones.
A few hours after tweeting an image of an hourglass to signal that time was running out, Jones celebrated by writing, “KC….5 more years of greatness! 3x.”