Blink, and you’ll have missed cornerback L’Jarius Sneed’s tenure with the Tennessee Titans.
Sneed, 29, played in 12 games over two seasons for the Titans since the Kansas City Chiefs traded him to Tennessee in March 2024. The Titans released Sneed at the start of the NFL‘s new league year last Wednesday, and rumors are percolating that the Chiefs could sign Sneed to a cheap one-year contract to add depth to their suddenly decimated secondary.
Sneed played the first five games of the 2024 season before suffering a quad injury that persisted and kept him out for the remainder of the year. He underwent “a knee procedure” last May, and he was limited to seven games last season.
Sports Illustrated NFL reporter Matt Verderame provided more context on Sneed’s knee and an educated guess on whether the Chiefs will actually bring back their 2020 fourth-round draft pick.
“When [the Chiefs] went to the Super Bowl and beat the Niners the second time around and became a dynasty, that was his finest hour that year,” Verderame said on KC Sports Network’s That Football Show. “The fact that guy wasn’t a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro that year is the ultimate robbery. He was the best corner in football. There was a real concern all year long that [his] knee was going to give way.”
Verderame continued, “If you remember that year, he did not practice in training camp. He was not to be found. The concern was, like, ‘Hey, man, his knee is really tenuous.’ Part of the reason they traded him to the Titans was because they felt like there is no way this guy is surviving another contract.”
Verderame said there won’t be a big market for Sneed as an unrestricted free agent due to his age, his knee, which Verderame described as being in “really bad shape” and “deteriorating,” and his lack of production with the Titans.
Still, Verderame said the Chiefs could consider signing Sneed to a one-year, low-risk contract, so long as they don’t depend on him to be a reliable starter. But Vederame wouldn’t be surprised if the Chiefs pass on a reunion.
Verderame was referencing the 2023 season as Sneed’s highest NFL peak.
That year, Sneed paired with All-Pro slot corner Trent McDuffie, who was traded to the Los Angeles Rams this month. Together, they formed a lockdown cornerback tandem. Sneed did not allow a single touchdown on 90 targets during the regular season. According to Next Gen Stats, his 27.7% completion allowed on throws of 10-plus air yards was the lowest among all qualified defensive backs, and he forced a tight window on a league-high 44.7% of targets over 10 air yards.
Sneed’s most memorable play with the Chiefs was his goal-line punch-out on Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers in the AFC Championship Game. McDuffie recovered the fumble, the Chiefs beat the Ravens, and Kansas City became back-to-back Super Bowl champions two weeks later.
The Chiefs’ secondary is a shell of itself after trading McDuffie, losing cornerback Jaylen Watson to the Rams in free agency, and losing safety Bryan Cook to the Cincinnati Bengals in free agency.
With Brett Veach as general manager, the Chiefs have never paid a top cornerback beyond his second contract, so it would be out of character to take a flyer on Sneed now. It’s possible, given it would be low-risk financially. But history and how the first week of free agency shook out suggest the Chiefs’ plan is more likely to be replenishing through the 2026 NFL Draft in April.
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