BREAKING NEWS: Chiefs trade Sneed to the Titans
Tyler Brown
The cloud hanging over the Kansas City Chiefs offseason has been lifted after the Tennessee Titans reportedly traded for star cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. The compensation headed back to Kansas City is a 2025 third-round pick as well as a 2024 seventh-round pick swap.
After weeks of speculation since the NFL Draft Combine last month, it is the Titans that were willing to give Sneed the extension that he was looking for. Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report’s NFL Insiders is reporting that
Sneed has an agreement in place with Tennessee that is $19 million annually per year over four years with $55 million guaranteed.
Coming out of the combine it was the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons that came out of the gates as the hottest in pursuit of Sneed. The Lions had since moved on, trading a 2024 third-round pick for cornerback Carlton Davis in addition to two sixth-round picks, which is noteworthy. The Falcons allocated money elsewhere, giving a ton to quarterback Kirk Cousins and wide receiver Darnell Mooney.
When free agency opened, there were many rumors of it being a battle between the Indianapolis Colts and the Titans. The Titans were seen as second to the Colts by many, with the Colts having reportedly very high interest, which had since been disputed by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Many viewed the Titans as not a great match, given that they did not have a 2024 third-round pick.
Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame reported earlier this week that the deal died between the Colts and the Chiefs due to Sneed’s contract demands. It is likely that the Chiefs' hands were forced back to Tennessee because they might have been the only team that was willing to meet Sneed’s demands.
Kansas City also seemed intent on moving on given the compensation that they received from the Titans. The Chiefs could have simply let Sneed play under the franchise tag at a $19.8 million dollar cap hit. Some combinations of wanting to clear more cap space and doing right by Sneed since they knew a long-term contract extension was not in their plans after extending Chris Jones to a $258.75 million contract over five years likely led to this conclusion.
According to Over the Cap, this move will have the Chiefs with $27 million in salary cap space, giving them more freedom with the free agents that are still left out there. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN even went as far as to report something as specific as this gives them the room to bring back free agent left tackle Donovan Smith and defensive end Mike Danna.
Time will tell if those are the moves the Chiefs make, but they now have the flexibility to make a series of moves if they so choose. They have incumbent corners Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Joshua Williams and Nazhee Johnson on the roster, but a veteran to provide depth could be something they turn to now as well.
Speaking of cap space, that is likely another reason why the Titans came out on the other side of this trade as well. Tennessee has the third most cap space in the league even after signing wide receiver Calvin Ridley to a four-year 92-million dollar contract and giving $36 million to Sneed's new bookend Chidobe Awuzie. Even after firing head coach Mike Vrabel, the Titans seem to be making all-in type of moves.
Some might balk at receiving a future third-round pick and moving up in this year’s seventh-round, given the Chiefs could have let Sneed play on the tag this year. They could have then let him walk next year, which could have hypothetically granted them a 2026 third-round compensatory pick. The reality is that is a formula, so if the Chiefs were to make a big signing next offseason, they could have walked away with nothing at all. That would also be contingent on Sneed having a similarly healthy and dominant year, too.
Another reason why this is not all that bad of a return is not only are they clearing up cap space, but the Titans could very well be one of the worst teams in football, even after all of these moves. Tennessee is currently tied with the New England Patriots by having the second-worst odds of winning the Super Bowl next year, according to Draft Kings. If they finish near that range, the Chiefs could have three picks in the top 70 in 2025.
Let’s be frank, Sneed will be deeply missed on this current iteration of the Steve Spagnuolo defense. Sneed locking down number-one wide receivers and allowing first-team all-pro McDuffie to roam around the field will be sorely missed. It will take more of a group effort in the secondary this year with Sneed’s absence.
This is just another example of general manager Brett Veach prioritizing the future and building a team around quarterback Patrick Mahomes, rather than ever going “all-in” on one season – even if 2024 is a potential historical season. It has proved to be smart so far, moving on from legends such as Tyrann Mathieu and Tyreek Hill while not skipping a beat, winning two Super Bowls since then.
It will be interesting to watch what Veach does with the flexibility this time around. The Chiefs’ front office has given no reason not to trust these types of moves. If we are being perfectly honest, Sneed had made a little under $6 million by the end of his rookie contract as a fourth-round pick and deserves every bit of the bag he received from Tennessee. He will be remembered very fondly as a tough, sticky and big-time play-making cornerback with two Super Bowl rings to his name.
