The Kansas City Chiefs plan to use the franchise tag on cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. This gives the team more time to work out an extension with the corner, though if no long-term deal is reached, Kansas City and Sneed have both said that they are open to a trade.
Sneed picked a good time for his breakout season. He was selected in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft and began his career as a depth piece in the secondary. Sneed then played in 15 games in his second season and started being relied on more and more by the defense. Still, he wasn’t considered a lockdown corner until 2023. Sneed was tasked with leading the Kansas City secondary and didn’t disappoint. He played in 16 games last season and totaled 68 tackles with two interceptions and 14 passes defended. His passes defended were tied for the fourth-most in the league with Benjamin St-Juste, behind only Charvarius Ward, Darious Williams and Paulson Adebo.
Sneed was an instrumental piece to Kansas City’s second consecutive Super Bowl win, and it makes sense why they want him to be in their long-term plans at the right price point. Still, the Chiefs are no strangers to pulling off a tag and trade. Kansas City used the franchise tag in 2019 on DE Dee Ford and later traded him to the San Francisco 49ers for a second-round pick. Sneed is also the lone cornerback set to hit free agency for the Chiefs this offseason. If a deal can’t be agreed upon and he is traded, Kansas City will then likely turn to Trent McDuffie, Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson to step up in the secondary.