Chiefs Make Surprise Decision on L'Jarius Sneed's Future With Team
By Joe Summers
The Chiefs made a stunning move regarding L'Jarius Sneed's potential future in Kansas City, reportedly telling the superstar cornerback that they are prepared to use the franchise tag.
If the two sides cannot come to a long-term deal, the Chiefs declared a willingness to trade Sneed, a scenario which is agreeable to Sneed. He'll now negotiate with other teams and Brett Veach will look to craft a trade.
This reads very similarly to the situation that led to Tyreek Hill's departure, and it now feels much more likely that we've seen Sneed's final game with the Chiefs.
Chiefs News: KC Prepared to Franchise Tag or Trade L'Jarius Sneed
#Chiefs have informed L’Jarius Sneed they are prepared to use the franchise tag and are open to consummate a trade off it if no long-term deal is reached, per source.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) February 27, 2024
Sneed is agreeable to the scenario, giving him chance to talk with other teams while K.C. remains in play pic.twitter.com/JayTzcAW0Y
Sneed just had a career year in which he was potentially the single-best cornerback in the entire league. He's already been linked to the Philadelphia Eagles and will get the opportunity to weigh his value with other teams before the Chiefs ultimately work out a trade.
It feels unlikely at this point that Sneed returns to Kansas City barring a market not materializing across the NFL. The Chiefs tagged and traded Dee Ford in 2019 for a second-round pick. That pales in comparison to the massive haul the organization got for Tyreek Hill, though it ultimately depends on what teams are willing to offer.
Can confirm the Chiefs are expected to place the franchise tag on L'Jarius Sneed, which could lead to him being traded to another team before the draft if no deal with the Chiefs is reached, per multiple sources.
— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) February 27, 2024
In 2019, Dee Ford was traded to the 49ers for a 2nd-round pick. https://t.co/izwd98Q4H1
Sneed has been clear that he wants to be paid and secure a long-term extension. It appears that the Chiefs are not willing to meet his demands and are essentially calling his bluff on what his value is. If another team is prepared to make him one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in football, I'd surmise Veach lets him walk just like he let Hill.
With a handful of cornerback contracts approaching and exceeding $100 million at over $20 million annually, the Chiefs seem to trust their player development and scouting programs to effectively replace Sneed instead of committing a large percentage of their cap space to him. Trading the former fourth-round pick instead of potentially losing him for nothing next offseason makes sense, though it's a painful possibility nonetheless.
We'll see what happens over the coming days, but the first massive domino towards a Sneed departure has officially fallen.
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