KC Chiefs Franchise Tag CB L'Jarius Sneed, Paving Way for Next Steps

A day before the deadline to do so and after plenty of speculation, Kansas City has officially placed the franchise tag on its star cornerback.

As the month of February came to a close, it was reported that the Kansas City Chiefs had officially applied the franchise tag on cornerback L'Jarius Sneed. While it didn't appear on the NFL's transaction notice at the time, that move is finalized to start this week.

Per an announcement directly from the team on X, Kansas City placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Sneed in advance of Tuesday's 4:00 p.m. ET deadline to do so. 

We have placed the Non-Exclusive Franchise Tag on CB L'Jarius Sneed. pic.twitter.com/xF3XLjlqVk

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) March 4, 2024

This has been a widely expected move since the window of eligibility opened on Feb. 20. Sneed incurs a salary cap charge of $19.8 under the tag. With that said, the Chiefs were reportedly "open to consummate a trade" with Sneed and his camp was "agreeable" should the tag get utilized and a long-term contract not get ironed out. Both sides' initial preference was — and presumably remains — a multiyear deal to keep Sneed in Kansas City. The tag prevents him from hitting free agency and buys more time to reach a resolution.

Every Sneed-related development thus far has made it difficult to see him playing out next season on the tag. It's been tracking for him to either be re-signed or traded. As the pending free agency of All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones also weighed over their heads, the Chiefs approached the March 11 opening of the legal tampering period with plenty to decide. The tag is one key step in the organization's process with Sneed, but there's more to figure out.

Over the weekend, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN pointed out the Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins as teams to watch in the event of a Sneed trade. I briefly assessed each club's situation here on Arrowhead Report: 

One of these destinations would make a lot more sense than the other. First and foremost, the Lions are outside of the AFC and have a very clear need at cornerback. Additionally, their salary cap situation is quite impressive (estimated at over $50 million in available spending) post-Combine. Lastly, general manager Brad Holmes has a solid array of draft picks to use in a potential trade. On Day Two of the 2024 NFL Draft, Detroit has three combined selections in round two (61 overall) and round three (Nos. 73 and 92). 

Miami, while possible, doesn't seem nearly as likely. Aside from being an intraconference opponent, the Dolphins are well over the 2024 salary cap line. While there are avenues to make enough room for a Sneed trade and presumed extension, it'd take some financial gymnastics and further limit their flexibility in free agency. Regarding relevant draft capital, general manager Chris Grier has No. 55 overall but isn't slated to pick again until the fifth round.

Sneed, a 2020 fourth-round pick by the Chiefs, just wrapped up the best season of his career. In 16 regular-season games, he recorded 78 tackles, 14 passes defended and two interceptions. He also posted elite marks in regards to completion percentage (51.0) and passer rating (56.2) surrendered in coverage. Sneed slowed down numerous Pro Bowl and All-Pro level receivers from September to February, playing a critical role in Kansas City's run to Super Bowl LVIII. Now tagged, he and the Chiefs can look ahead to what's next for everyone involved.

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