3 Reasons Why Chiefs Deciding to Bring L’Jarius Sneed Back Makes Perfect Sense

After spending two seasons with the Tennessee Titans, cornerback L’Jarius Sneed has re-signed a one-year contract worth $5 million with the Kansas City Chiefs. He becomes the latest veteran to return to the Chiefs in recent years.

The Chiefs drafted Sneed, a Louisiana Tech graduate, during the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Veteran defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, back then, said that he was surprised to see Sneed fall to the fourth round. Spagnuolo had a second-round grade on him.

Even in meetings, we could tell he was a cerebral guy. (He) played a lot of positions in college, which led us to believe he could handle things mentally.

Spagnuolo said

Spagnuolo turned Sneed into a cornerback, and he flourished. In the following four years, Sneed started in 54 of 57 games, deflected 40 passes, and hauled in 10 interceptions. Just a month after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, the Chiefs traded Sneed to the Titans after placing a franchise tag on him. KC received a 2025 third-round selection back in the deal, which also included a swap of 2024 seventh-rounders.

In Tennessee, Sneed signed a four-year, $76.4 million contract with $51.5 million in guarantees. Brian Callahan made Sneed the primary corner, alongside Chidobe Awuzie. Sneed played five games before suffering a quad injury that forced him to miss the rest of the year. The Titans placed Sneed on the PUP list in July 2025, and after seven games into the new season, he re-aggravated his quad injury.

In two seasons and 12 appearances with the Titans, Sneed registered a couple of tackles for loss and three pass deflections. He was released by the Titans in March 2026.

Meanwhile, Sneed faced felony charges for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. In December, he and his former assistant, Tekonzae Williams, allegedly fired shots out of a car at an auto dealership. Sneed was later indicted for failure to report the felony by a grand jury in Dallas County, Texas. Fortunately, the charges were dropped against him in May of this year.

Last week, Sneed visited the Chiefs’ facility and signed a one-year extension on Monday.

L’Jarius Sneed is familiar with Steve Spagnuolo’s schemes

Ever since Spagnuolo took charge of the defense, the Chiefs have constantly performed well. Even last year, when they had a 6-11 record, the defense ranked tenth best in the league.

Sneed adds a veteran presence to the locker room who has tasted Super Bowl glory twice.

L’Jarius Sneed is the best replacement for the outgoing Trent McDuffie

It’s no longer a secret that the Chiefs don’t like to pay their corners. Sneed experienced that in 2024, and two years later, Trent McDuffie met the same fate. After four years of service, the Chiefs traded McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams for a first-round draft pick. Jaylen Watson followed McDuffie to LA, signing a three-year deal worth $51 million.

The absence of two top CBs created a vacuum in the Chiefs’ secondary. Sneed can now fill that void.

 A mentor for the younger generation

The Chiefs heavily reinforced the secondary with the help of the draft. As their first pick, the Chiefs selected LSU alum Mansoor Delane in the top 10 and in the later rounds picked Oregon’s Jadon Canady.

The Chiefs only gave Sneed a one-year deal, but he can still mentor the young ones to ensure the defense remains elite for the next few years. KC also boasts second-year pro Nohl Williams and veterans Kristian Fulton and Kaiir Elam on the roster.

Also Read:

• Justin Bieber Leads Early Race to Headline Super Bowl 2027 Halftime Show
• Russell Wilson Calling an End to NFL Career Turns Critics Into Fans – “Thanks for Everything”