3 Most Likely L'Jarius Sneed Trade Destinations

The most pressing issues for the Chiefs as the dust settles from the Super Bowl victory is the ongoing contract negotiations for both L'Jarius Sneed and Chris Jones.

Neither player is under contract for next season, though the Chiefs reportedly informed Sneed on Tuesday they were prepared to franchise tag him or work out a trade if a long-term deal could not be reached. Sneed was reportedly agreeable to these teams, opening the door for him to negotiate with other teams and potentially find a new home.

It feels increasingly inevitable that Sneed will play for a different team in the 2024-25 season, especially given Brett Veach's history of drafting and developing quality cornerbacks at a discounted cost.

With that in mind, here's a look at the three most likely trade destinations for the two-time Super Bowl champion and defensive star:

Chiefs Rumors: 3 Most Likely L'Jarius Sneed Trade Destinations

1. Philadelphia Eagles

Sneed has already been tied to the Eagles over the last month, with reports of several former college teammates communicating with the Louisiana Tech graduate in hopes of convincing him to join Philadelphia.

Just one year after fielding perhaps the league's best defense, the Eagles' secondary was a disaster in 2023-24. James Bradberry, in particular, struggled down the stretch after signing a contract extension, and general manager Howie Roseman is likely to overhaul the cornerback room to return to contention.

I find it highly unlikely that Brett Veach would trade Sneed to an AFC team, though he may even be weary of sending him to an NFC contender like the Eagles. That being said, there's likely mutual interest and Sneed could help restore Philadelphia's defense to the heights it reached two years ago.

A physical, versatile cornerback like Sneed would fit well with the Eagles' scheme. Philly has two second-round picks within three selections of each other and a second-rounder feels like a fair asking price.

If Roseman is willing to part with one of those draft picks, a trade to the Eagles would let Sneed join another quality organization with plenty of ties to the Chiefs. Andy Reid still has connections in Philadelphia and I expect the Eagles to be one of the first calls Veach makes.

That being said, Philadelphia isn't the only team in the NFC that could use a star cornerback, as you'll see on the following page.

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2. Chicago Bears

The Bears are in the enviable position of possessing both the No. 1 overall pick with Caleb Williams set to take over the franchise, as well as the incumbent Justin Fields, who has proven he's a capable starter in the NFL.

Expectations are that Chicago will trade Fields for draft compensation, giving GM Ryan Poles extra ammo to pursue a difference-maker like Sneed. Williams and whoever is drafted at No. 9 can give the Bears a strong foundational offensively, while Sneed, Montez Sweat and fellow stud corner Jaylon Johnson can serve as the core trio on defense.

Almost overnight, Chicago can go from a bottom-10 team to one that could contend in the NFC. This ultimately depends on what draft picks Poles is willing to part with, but it's easy to imagine Sneed and Williams ushering in a new era of Bears football as the leaders of the defense and offense, respectively.

It's worth noting that Chicago is currently negotiating a contract extension with Johnson. If they ultimately use the franchise tag on him, it would complicate things from Kansas City's perspective, as they wouldn't be able to tag and trade Sneed without having a long-term extension in place.

We should know more about Fields' status in the coming days, providing clarity to what a potential trade could look like.

3. Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals have plenty of cap space and need to make a splash in Jonathan Gannon's second season at the helm. Kyler Murray is healthy now, but Arizona's defense ranked 29th last year in opponent yards per pass play (7.1). Kansas City ranked third at 5.5 and Sneed was a large reason why.

Antonio Hamilton and Starling Thomas played the most snaps at cornerback for the Cardinals in 2023. With all due respect to those two, neither is close to the caliber of player that Sneed is. Gannon needs to establish an identity defensively, so bringing the 27-year-old in on a big deal makes a lot of sense.

Given the Cardinals play in the NFC South, they have to face talented receivers like Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockette twice a year each. Sneed is one of the NFL's true lockdown corners, capable of shadowing opposing top receivers as he proved this season.

From a trade compensation perspective, Arizona has a lot of ammo to work with. The Cardinals have two first-round picks, an early second and three third-rounders, all of which could be used to manufacture a deal.

It's expected that Kansas City prefers draft picks to players in a potential trade, and there may be no team better suited to capitalize on that desire than Arizona.

As a cherry on top, we already know Sneed can rock the red uniforms too. It'll hurt to see him go if it comes to that, but I'm hopeful he lands in a fruitful situation in which he can shine.

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