Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed is one of the best players set to hit free agency. A fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Louisiana Tech product established himself as one of the league’s better slot cornerbacks through his first three seasons. However, he moved out wide in 2023, posting arguably his best season and proving to the world that he is one of the elite players at his position.
Following this remarkable season, L’Jarius Sneed is set to hit free agency and earn a massive paycheck. While the Chiefs could use the franchise tag to keep him around, Sneed made it abundantly clear that he will not be taking a hometown discount. With the franchise tag deadline still a week away, the two-time Super Bowl champion has started hinting at joining a new team.
On the 24th, L’Jarius Sneed posted a picture of himself feigning flight and captioned it with an eagle emoji. You don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out what Sneed is trying to say here, and if you look closely, you can also see that Philadelphia star wide receiver Devonta Smith liked the post.
L'Jarius Sneed’s latest Instagram post. 👀 pic.twitter.com/GY7oTYvUqM
— Word On The Birds (@WordOnTheBirds) February 24, 2024
L’Jarius Sneed Hints At Free Agency Departure In Latest Post
The Kansas City Chiefs have a big decision to make with L’Jarius Sneed in free agency. The team currently has $28.28 million in cap space, and if Sneed is their unquestioned top priority, then they’d be able to bring him back.
However, one player does not make a team, and even though they just won the Super Bowl, this team has some holes on the roster. Superstar defensive tackle Chris Jones is also slated for free agency, and re-signing him will not be cheap. Additionally, Kansas City needs to do something about their tackle situation and should probably add another wide receiver or two.
This is all one long way of saying that the Chiefs might not be able to keep L’Jarius Sneed from free agency. If he leaves, the Philadelphia Eagles make sense as a potential suitor. Despite their underwhelming finish to the season, this team is loaded with talent and currently carries $32.47 million in cap space.
Of course, these are just two of many teams who should be interested in adding L’Jarius Sneed in free agency. You can’t have too many good cornerbacks in today’s pass-happy era, so if Sneed makes it to the open market, these five teams should be in heavy pursuit.
Best Team Fits
New England Patriots
Nobody loves cornerbacks more than the New England Patriots, and that’s not likely to change even with Bill Belichick out of the picture. Christian Gonzalez looked like a star early in his rookie season, and adding L’Jarius Sneed in free agency could give the Patriots the best cornerback duo in football. New England will need a few years to rebuild the offense, so they might as well try to remain competitive with an elite defense in the short term.
Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders defense was one of the worst in the league by just about every measure. While they had problems at all three levels, L’Jarius Sneed would help fix the secondary in free agency. Emmanuel Forbes had a rough rookie season, and while it’s too early to completely give up on him, this new coaching staff won’t give him the benefit of the doubt. If Forbes works out, Washington will have a great cornerback duo. If not, then they’ll at least have one side of the field locked down.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens have several key free agents hitting the open market, and they won’t be able to re-sign all of them. Rather than trying to recapture lightning in a bottle by bringing back all their pass rushers in free agency, they could choose to sign L’Jarius Sneed. Marlon Humphrey isn’t getting any younger, and the improved coverage means quarterbacks will have to hold the ball longer, which will make life easier for whichever pass rushers return.
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears have secured their defensive line with the Montez Sweat trade. Now, they just need to use a portion of their $82.9 million in cap space to add a star cornerback like L’Jarius Sneed in free agency. Caleb Williams will make the offense better, and building up a strong secondary will allow Chicago to compete for the NFC North division crown in 2024.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers will need to clear up some money to make this happen, but you can’t deny how good a fit this is. Head coach Jim Harbaugh needs to fix this terrible defense, and signing L’Jarius Sneed in free agency is the best way to get this done. The Chargers have good pass rushers, it just didn’t matters since opposing receivers were getting open so easily. Sneed should fix this issue, and adding him also makes the division rival Chiefs even weaker.
Main Photo: Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports
