Good News: A $65 million free agent will join the Kansas City Chiefs

On January 7, 2023, Getty Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed will be at Allegiant Stadium.

It goes without saying that the Kansas City Chiefs defense was a major factor in the team’s back-to-back Super Bowl victories.

Regretfully, the Chiefs lost two of their best defensive players in March when they became free agents: Chris Jones and L’Jarius Sneed. Jones’ franchise tag would set the Chiefs back more than $32 million.According to Spotrac.com, Sneed will sign a four-year, $65 million free agency contract.

Maintaining both appears to be almost impossible, even with the increased pay cap for 2024. ESPN insider Dan Graziano said on February 19 that “Jones is the team’s finest player, not named Patrick Mahomes, and his game-wrecking performance in the Super Bowl just reinforced his value.”

Graziano says it’s hardly shocking that Jones is given priority. “For the previous couple of years, Kansas City has been planning for Sneed’s likely exit.”

Given that cornerback Trent McDuffie is committed to a two-year, $13.9 million rookie deal, Graziano thinks the Chiefs “may just let [Sneed] depart.”

“It would be difficult to replace Seed because he is among the best corners in the game and a vital component of the Chiefs’ defense (nine pass breakups in the previous season and ten career interceptions),” Graziano said.

However, the Chiefs have selected four cornerbacks in the previous two rounds, including Trent Mcduffie, a first-round pick in 2022, who seems more than prepared to assume the position of starting cornerback in the event that Sneed goes.

“They have been ready for the likelihood of this happening with their draft approach. Jones is a top-five defender in the league and the engine of their pass rush; he appears to be harder to replace than Sneed.

Taking L’Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie Apart: “The NFL’s Finest 1-2 Punch at Cornerback”

The play of the playoffs, period. McDuffie made the recovery, and Sneed delivered the punchout.
These two must remain teammates for the Chiefs.

McDuffie had 80 tackles, 7 passes defensed, 5 caused fumbles, and 3 sacks in the previous campaign. In the postseason, he added 12 more tackles, 7 passes defensed, and 1 fumble recovery.

During the regular season, Sneed recorded 78 total tackles, 14 passes defensed, and 2 interceptions. He added an additional 17 tackles, 3 passes defensed, and 1 forced fumble during the playoffs. Chiefs analyst Seth Keysor thinks it would be a mistake to split Sneed and McDuffie apart. He referred to them as the NFL’s “greatest 1-2 punch at cornerback.”

“Sneed and McDuffie are fundamental guys around whom a defensive gameplan may be created,” noted Keysor. They also made it abundantly clear that the NFL’s top 1-2 CB tandem exists and that maintaining that combination is crucial.

This past season, Sneed and McDuffie “demonstrated their importance as foundations of a franchise,” but Jones is also “essential” to Steve Spagnuolo’s defense.

If the Chiefs sign Chris Jones to a long-term contract, will they be able to keep L’Jarius Sneed?

Chris Jones had another outstanding season.

If the Chiefs restructure Mahomes’ contract, they will have enough financial space to franchise tag Jones. Still, there wouldn’t be much space for other actions. Kansas City may also make Sneed a big offer if they can negotiate a new, long-term contract with Jones, which appears to be the most likely scenario.

But there won’t be enough cash left over after selecting new players in the NFL draft to keep a number of other important pending free agents. Despite the chance to win three straight Super Bowls, Need doesn’t seem ready to accept a pay decrease. This is the 27-year-old Louisiana Tech alum’s finest chance to cash in and grab the bag.

“It seems like the Chiefs are willing to let Sneed go and use the money elsewhere, especially with McDuffie and others ready to step up,” Graziano speculated. It’s possible that the Chiefs may retain both Jones and Sneed, but our prediction is that they won’t. Jones is simply irreplaceable, so I believe they will find a way to keep him.