Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed called out Sports Illustrated NFL insider Matt Verderame early Wednesday morning for what Sneed claims are “lies” about his contract demands.
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Verderame was interviewed by 610 Sports Radio in Kansas City on March 18 and revealed that Sneed is “sticking to” his asking price of $22 million per year because he wants to be the highest paid cornerback in the NFL.
After Verderame took to X, formerly Twitter, on March 20 to confirm Sneed’s contract demands, Sneed reacted to Verderame’s post by writing in a since-deleted post, “On my way to work out & the lies I see!”
The Chiefs Have Yet to Trade L’Jarius Sneed
Despite franchise tagging Sneed this offseason with the hope of trading him, Kansas City has yet to find a trade partner through March 19.
The Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans have been rumored as having interest in trading for the star CB, yet a recent source-off has left many wondering if the Colts’ interest is real.
Carrington Harrison of 610 Sports Radio revealed on March 18 that no team has offered Kansas City a second-round pick for Sneed. He also shared that the two-time defending Super Bowl champions are “fine” with Sneed staying in Kansas City and playing on the $19.8 million franchise tag for the 2024 season.
Lastly, Harrison wrote that Sneed’s “medicals are concerning,” which is referring to the knee injury that he suffered leading up to the 2023 Super Bowl and impacted him during the 2023 season.
Keeping Sneed on Franchise Tag Will Limit KC’s Spending
If the Chiefs do not trade Sneed, it will impact their spending for the remainder of the offseason.
As it currently stands, the Chiefs have $7.6 million in available cap space, according to Over The Cap. That includes new Kansas City receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown‘s $8.2 million cap hit.
Sneed’s $19.8 million cap hit ranks fourth-highest on the team. Unfortunately for the Chiefs, there’s no way to reduce Sneed’s cap hit unless 1) They trade him, or 2) They sign him to a multi-year extension, which doesn’t seem like a possibility at this point.
So, Sneed’s cap hit for the 2024 season will severely limit the Chiefs’ spending for the remainder of free agency, as the team has to also leave cap room for their incoming rookie class as well.
Speaking to the media at a partnership event with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Kansas City on March 12, Sneed revealed what life is like for him as he awaits the final verdict on his future with the Chiefs.
“My life is fun, but it’s very stressful right now, too,” Sneed said, via news station KSHB 41. “I don’t get sleep at night. I have a kid, a newborn, I don’t get sleep. I’ve got the free agency, you know? It’s a lot going on, but I’m taking it all in at one time.”
Sneed also expressed his desire to remain a Chief.
“Hopefully I’m with the Chiefs,” he said. “Hopefully I’m still here. Hopefully we go back and repeat.”
The franchise tag deadline — which is the deadline for tagged players to sign a long-term deal with that franchise — is July 17.
