The Kansas City Chiefs may not retain their star lockdown corner, L’Jarius Sneed in free agency next month. The Chiefs may be celebrating their back-to-back Super Bowl victory after this weekend, but that’ll be cut short soon. Kansas City will need to shift focus on retaining their key free agents hitting the market. Defensive tackle Chris Jones is another player who will be difficult to retain and is expected to receive a huge payday just like Sneed.
However, the expectation is that they could offer a huge contract to Sneed as well but that’s going to be difficult. The team has announced that these two players will be the priority despite if they have to sacrifice letting one of their pivotal players walk. Since Jones already missed training camp and week one of last season, he may just walk into a new team by the Fall. Jones never got the contract he wanted, so he may not truly get it in Kansas City.
The Chiefs may be running out of time soon and a solution will be figured out. However, Sneed was a standout player who caught the eye of the NFL during the season. His ability to lockdown wide receivers and play with strategy is drawing praise and attention. The Kansas City general manager explained the importance of keeping both players to continue bolstering their defensive unit.
“Sometimes I look at our situation and I’m like, ‘I don’t know how we’re going to do this,’ but we usually work through things systematically and have a list of priorities. Certainly, Chris Jones and LJ are at the top of the list,” he stated.
𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗦: The #Cowboys, #Falcons and #Raiders are “teams to watch” for L’Jarius Sneed if the #Chiefs are unable to re-sign him this offseason, per @TonyPauline
The Chiefs could tag Sneed for $19 million if a long-term deal cannot be worked out.
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— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) February 13, 2024
Kansas City Chiefs May Not Retain Their Lockdown Corner L’Jarius Sneed
Sacrifice Might Be the Only Answer
While the Chiefs are hopeful that things will eventually work out, it might take some sacrifices. Technically, they’ll have to choose who to prioritize even though they want to prioritize both. Sneed, who racked up 78 tackles and a pair of interceptions this season, is entering a competitive free-agent market. He was drafted in the 2020 NFL Draft and has been an integral part of the roster helping the Chiefs to win two Super Bowls.
Jones made it clear he wanted a new deal at the beginning of the season. Kansas City ended up giving him a quick deal to keep him playing for one more year, but this time it will be much harder for the front office. With the help of Sneed and Jones, the Chiefs only gave up just 17.3 points per game in the postseason. The Chiefs would miss out if they can’t retain their shutdown corner, but that’s the same story for Jones.
Sneed May Be Gone Soon
According to a report, Sneed was considered the Chiefs’ most dangerous weapon in the Super Bowl. The team’s defense has been able to replicate what Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were doing all season. However, the Chiefs’ defense would take a hit anyway if they lose any of their pivotal stars. Sneed expressed his desire to remain with the team, but some teams emerged as possible landing spots.
The Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders have their eyes set on Sneed to bolster their defensive ranks.
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