L’Jarius Sneed
Getty
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - DECEMBER 14: Nahshon Wright #26 of the Chicago Bears in action against the Cleveland Browns at Soldier Field on December 14, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bears could find a replacement for cornerback Nahshon Wright with former Tennessee Titans cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, who was recently released due to cap constraints.
“Titans are releasing CB L’Jarius Sneed, which will save Tennessee $11.4 million against the cap, per sources,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported. “Titans informed Sneed’s agents, the Katz Brothers, of their decision today; Sneed now will become a free agent.”
Sneed, who signed a massive four-year, $76 million contract after the Titans acquired him in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs, is a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Chiefs and unfortunately dealt with injuries during his time in Tennessee.
The Bears recently saw Wright leave Chicago to sign a one-year, $5.5 million deal with the New York Jets after appearing in all 17 games, amassing 11 pass deflections, five interceptions, two forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.
Adam Schefter
Titans are releasing CB L’Jarius Sneed, which will save Tennessee $11.4 million against the cap, per sources. Titans informed Snead’s agents, the Katz Brothers, of their decision today; Sneed now will become a free agent.
L’Jarius Sneed Could Replace Nahshon Wright in Chicago
It just did not work out for Sneed in Tennessee. Before joining the Titans in 2024, he was regarded as one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL, racking up 303 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and 10 interceptions in 57 career games with the Chiefs.
At 29 years old, the Bears could have an opportunity to sign him on a short-term deal that won’t put a huge dent in the cap and provide the defense with a proven veteran at corner.
Not just that, Ryan Poles was a part of the Chiefs’ front office when the team drafted Sneed in the fourth round back in 2020.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid gave Sneed some massive praise, saying, “Yeah, one of my all-time favorite guys. A great human being. As great of a player as he is, he’s an even better human being. He’s as tough as you can imagine. I’m his biggest fan, absolutely.”
He’ll fit in with what the Bears are trying to build in Chicago.
Bears Must Address the Secondary
The Bears have now let five defensive backs leave during free agency.
It’s worth noting that all five DBs signed just one-year deals. The Bears, despite leading the league in interceptions with 23 last season, did not see enough in this group to commit to them long term.
Teams around the league feel the same way, as they don’t want to commit to a multi-year contract with these players.
Sneed would be an improvement, but he wouldn’t be a long-term commitment. At this point, all signs point to Chicago addressing the secondary during the 2026 NFL Draft, where there’s a consensus that the Bears want to pair $40M free-agent signing Coby Bryant with a rookie.
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein has the Bears trading up five spots with the Dallas Cowboys in the first round and drafting Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, writing, “Ryan Poles gets aggressive and moves up the board to grab a long, rangy safety capable of laying the lumber or taking the ball away from a variety of alignments.
McNeil Warren is an extremely good safety prospect, but it’s hard to believe the Bears will move up and draft a safety, let alone in the first round.
Regardless, the Bears need to find a replacement for Wright and a safety to pair with Bryant in the backfield.