Chiefs to Tag CB L’Jarius Sneed, Give Permission to Seek Trade

INDIANAPOLIS — The Kansas City Chiefs plan to use a franchise tag on free-agent-to-be cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, but have given him permission to seek a trade if long-term contract negotiations between the star corner and the team don’t work out, according to a report by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The Chiefs will place a franchise tag on Sneed before the March 5 deadline for them to do so, and Sneed’s will be a one-year deal for $19.8 million.

But it doesn’t seem likely that he will play in 2024 under that contract.

Kansas City general manager Brett Veach said on Tuesday at the 2024 NFL Combine that his goal is to sign Sneed to a long-term contract. If that fails, it doesn’t seem likely that the Chiefs will want Sneed to play out the 2024 season at the tag amount, considering their other major free agent, defensive tackle Chris Jones, will also cost them a lot of money this coming season. The Chiefs currently have approximately $9.2 million in offseason salary cap space.

“Certainly we want to do what we can to try to keep both those players and that’s going to be our goal and intent,” Veach said. “Hopefully we’re able to figure something out. But every free agency is different, unique and crazy. We do have one tag, and I anticipate probably using it to help us. But I think our goal is to try to get both those players done and then work down the rest of our roster.”

If the Chiefs trade Sneed, they would want at least a second-round draft pick in return, according to Rapoport.

A team trading for Sneed would still have to sign him to a new contract, or they would have the option of playing him under the franchise tag in 2024.

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