The Kansas City Chiefs have officially placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. This news first came from the team’s official account on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday afternoon. This decision comes one day before the deadline for teams to place the franchise tag on players.

#Chiefs now officially franchise tag CB L'Jarius Sneed. #FPC #NFL #NFLTwitter pic.twitter.com/RdwCnyXErv

— Full Press NFL (@FullPressNFL) March 4, 2024

Overall, this has become an increasingly likely scenario, based on reporting from the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine last week. Sneed has already been given permission to seek a trade with other teams. And if Kansas City is offered the draft-pick compensation that they desire, it appears that a tag and trade scenario has been the likeliest path for a while.

That does not mean that the Chiefs are fully moving on from L’Jarius Sneed. Of course, he and Kansas City could still negotiate a long-term contract extension, if they choose to. We could also see the cornerback play on the franchise tag for one year at a fully guaranteed salary of $19.8 million for 2024. Depending on the route the team takes with this situation, we may know where L’Jarius Sneed is playing next year rather quickly. There is also the chance that this drags out longer than anticipated, however.

Kansas City Uses Tag For Fourth Time Under Veach

This is the seventh offseason in which Chiefs general manager Brett Veach had the opportunity to use the franchise tag. After this move involving L’Jarius Sneed, Kansas City has now used the tag four times under Veach. The past results from issuing the franchise tag have been extremely varied.

Most recently, Orlando Brown Jr. did not receive a contract extension and played on the franchise tag for $16.7 million in 2022. He would leave to the Cincinnati Bengals the following offseason. Meanwhile, Chris Jones did indeed get a new contract extension after receiving the franchise tag in 2020. He is now due for a new deal four years later.

Finally, the Chiefs did a tag and trade scenario after using the franchise tag on Dee Ford in 2019. Ford ended up receiving a five-year contract extension from the San Francisco 49ers after the move. In return, Kansas City received a second-round pick from San Francisco. Based on how things have been reported recently, it feels like Sneed could go down a similar path to what Ford experienced that offseason.

Buzz Surrounding A Tag And Trade Scenario

For more on that last thought, we could very well see a similar trade return, if L’Jarius Sneed is moved in a tag and trade scenario. We listed six possible landing spots for Sneed in that type of transaction last week. As part of that piece, we expected that Kansas City would likely receive at least a day two draft pick (second or third rounder). Perhaps, the Chiefs may even be able to land multiple day two draft picks, depending on how far outside teams are willing to go.

The buzz surrounding a possible tag and trade of L’Jarius Sneed simply continues to grow. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Chiefs have multiple suitors interested in a potential tag and trade deal. Fowler named the Miami Dolphins and the Detroit Lions as possible candidates to land Sneed. Specifically for Detroit, Fowler mentioned how they are “pretty set on adding a high-end corner.”

Sneed In Prime Position To Land Long-Term Deal

Regardless of whether it is from an outside team in a tag and trade scenario, or with the Chiefs, L’Jarius Sneed is in prime position to secure a long-term deal. First and foremost, Sneed is still in his prime. He will enter his fifth career season next year at the age of 27. More importantly, the cornerback just put together as dominant of a season as any cornerback in 2023. He has shown that he can handle the duties of covering the top opposing wide receiver each week. He can impose his physicality, affecting opponents at both the line of scrimmage and the catch point. And finally, Sneed’s ball skills are not too bad, either. L’Jarius Sneed could even top the franchise tag figure for his annual salary on a long-term deal.