Chiefs place franchise tag on CB L'Jarius Sneed

As the Chiefs weigh whether to move on from L'Jarius Sneed, they are making sure the star cornerback won’t hit free agency.

Kansas City placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Sneed ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, keeping him under team control for the 2024 season and leaving open the possibility of a trade.

Just last week, the Chiefs granted Sneed permission to seek a trade, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. With free agency looming, Monday’s move ensures that if Sneed leaves Kansas City this offseason, the Chiefs will at least receive some draft pick compensation.

Both sides have until mid-July to work out on a long-term extension or until the midseason trade deadline to part ways via trade.

After earning just over $5.5 million on his rookie deal, Sneed is set to more than triple his total pay on the $19.8 million tag.

Sneed, a 27-year-old, two-time Super Bowl champion with Kansas City, has oft been mentioned this offseason alongside Chris Jones as the Chiefs’ top priorities in free agency.

“Certainly, want to do what we can to try to keep both of those players,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said last week. “That’s going to be our goal and intent. 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.

“I think our goal is to try to get both of those players done and then work down the rest of our roster.”

Sneed has recorded at least two interceptions in each of his four seasons in the league and was integral alongside Trent McDuffie in shutting down the league’s top offenses en route to Kansas City’s Super Bowl LVIII triumph this past winter.

The cornerback was ranked No. 6 overall and the best available at his position on NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal’s list of the top 101 free agents. With the tag, however, Sneed will no longer see the free market.

Whether he will be a member of the Chiefs when Kansas City kicks off the 2024 season at home in September will be determined in the coming weeks.