L'Jarius Sneed is back in Kansas City, two Super Bowls and one rough Tennessee stint later
The Chiefs traded Sneed away in 2024. They're bringing him back on a one-year, up-to-$5 million deal to help rebuild a secondary they tore down this offseason. The question is his health.
L'Jarius Sneed won two Super Bowls in Kansas City, got the franchise tag, and was traded to Tennessee in 2024. Two injury-marred seasons later, the Titans released him, and the Chiefs are bringing him home on a one-year deal worth up to $5 million to help rebuild a secondary they gutted this spring.
What's the deal?
One year, up to $5 million, per Sneed's agents. It's a low-risk, prove-it contract for a player whose talent is established but whose availability isn't. The Chiefs drafted Sneed in the fourth round in 2020, watched him develop into a top-tier cover corner, and won two titles with him before tagging and trading him to the Titans in 2024 for cap reasons. The reunion brings a known commodity back into a familiar scheme.
Why was he available?
Tennessee gave up on the investment. The Titans released Sneed in March 2026, clearing $11.4 million in cap space, after he struggled to stay on the field. He appeared in just 12 games across two seasons in Tennessee, opening 2025 on the PUP list following a knee procedure and a quad injury, then playing seven games (26 tackles, three passes defended) before another quad injury in Week 7 sent him to injured reserve for the final 10 games. The talent was never the issue; the body was.
Why do the Chiefs need him?
Because they tore the secondary down. Kansas City traded Trent McDuffie and lost Jaylen Watson to the Rams this offseason, then rebuilt with rookie Mansoor Delane and free agents Kader Kohou and Kaiir Elam. That's a lot of turnover and youth at a premium position. Sneed, even at reduced availability, is a veteran who already knows the system and gives the room a proven floor if he can stay healthy. He's a stabilizer for a unit in transition.
What's the risk?
All on health. When right, Sneed is one of the better man-coverage corners in football, and at $5 million he's a bargain. But he's played 12 games in two years, and both lost seasons traced to quad injuries that recurred. The Chiefs aren't betting much money on him, which is the point: it's a high-upside flier on a player they know, with the downside capped by the contract. If he's healthy, it's a steal. If the quad acts up again, they've lost little.
Players in this story
Sources
- ESPN: Chiefs signing veteran CB L'Jarius Sneed, agents say
Kansas City Chiefs betting odds
Super Bowl futures, win totals & where to bet
FanDuel Sportsbook: New-customer welcome offer. New customers only. First online real-money wager only. Any bonus is issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets that expire; eligibility and restrictions apply. See the current offer and full terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com.
21+ and present in select states. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Hope is here. GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support (MA). Call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY). FanDuel is offering online sports wagering in Kansas under an agreement with Kansas Star Casino, LLC. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, KY, MI, NJ, OH, PA, IL, TN, VA, VT), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD), 1-800-522-4700 (WY), or visit www.1800gambler.net (WV).
Fanatics Sportsbook: Up to $1,000 in FanCash Matched Bets. New customers in AZ, CO, CT, DC, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV or WY. Apply the promotion in your bet slip and place a $1+ cash wager (min odds -200) daily for 10 consecutive days starting the day of account creation. FanCash rewards equal the qualifying wager amount (max $100 FanCash per day). FanCash issued under this promotion expires at 11:59 p.m. ET 7 days from issuance. Terms, including FanCash terms, apply - see the Fanatics Sportsbook app.
21+ and present in a state where Fanatics Sportsbook operates. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Touchdown Week may earn a commission when you sign up through our links, at no cost to you. Please bet responsibly.
