KC Chiefs' Franchise Tag Window for L'Jarius Sneed is Officially Opening

From now until early next month, Kansas City is eligible to apply the franchise tag on its star cornerback.

Now over a week removed from their Super Bowl LVIII win over the San Francisco 49ers, the Kansas City Chiefs are in offseason mode. The first of several significant dates has officially arrived, with Tuesday being relevant to contracts and free agency.

Feb. 20 marks the opening of the NFL's franchise tag window, meaning teams are eligible to tag a designated player over the next couple of weeks. For Kansas City, cornerback L'Jarius Sneed and defensive tackle Chris Jones are the two major players to watch. Sneed appears to be far more probable than Jones, however, as the latter is reportedly "unlikely" to be given the tag due to such a high projected cap number in that scenario. 

Starting on Tuesday and lasting until 4:00 p.m. ET on March 5, the Chiefs can tag Sneed and provide themselves with a couple of opportunities. First and foremost, this keeps the standout corner away from free agency and ensures that, if the team chooses to keep him, he'll be a Chief through the end of next season. Additionally, it gives Kansas City some added flexibility regarding negotiations and even trades. In the event of a tag, the Chiefs would have until mid-July to iron out a new deal with Sneed. If it becomes apparent that a contract isn't in the cards, Sneed could always be traded.

This year, Sneed's projected franchise tag value comes in at right around $18.8 million for 2024-25. In a vacuum, that's pretty close to his estimated value on the free agent market. Most projections for his next contract range from $15.7M to $17.5M on a yearly basis. Coming off a career year and being 27 years old — right in line with his prime — Sneed figures to make much more per season than his entire rookie contract was worth. His message to general manager Brett Veach last week was pretty simple:

"Pay me," Sneed said. "Pay me, pay me. That's what I've got to say — pay me."

Historically, the Chiefs haven't been willing to shell out serious financial resources for cornerbacks. Early in Veach's tenure, low-cost veterans such as Bashaud Breeland helped insulate the position group. Since 2020, players like Sneed, Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams have entered the fold as Day Three draft selections. 2022 first-rounder Trent McDuffie is the team's biggest investment at cornerback. Earlier that offseason, Charvarius Ward was allowed to walk in free agency and sign a sizable deal with the San Francisco 49ers.

Context and tendencies hint that Sneed's time as a Chief could be at its end. With that said, the team hasn't been in this same position with a player of Sneed's caliber. Despite not bringing in a Pro Bowl berth or All-Pro nod, the Louisiana Tech product was nothing short of brilliant in year No. 4 on the job. If Jones isn't tagged or re-signed, it'd be very appropriate to keep an elite cornerback duo intact. Kansas City likely can't afford to not have at least one of its star defenders on the field in September.

That's where the franchise tag might come into play. Teams typically wait a while before using it, so don't necessarily expect anything to happen right out of the gate. Do monitor how things unfold with Sneed and Jones, though. With Sneed especially, the tag is relatively affordable and would preserve multiple avenues while also keeping minor spending flexibility intact. The offseason is getting ready to pick up, and Kansas City is one of many teams weighing whether to tag a key contributor. 

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