Getty Image
Make no mistake, Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed is a good player. He has been a key piece of the back-to-back Super Bowl champions.
Sneed’s contract was up after the 2023 season, and the Chiefs have placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Sneed, and are looking to either extend him or trade him. The problem is, L’Jarius Sneed’s contract demands are completely out of touch with his value as a player.
Sneed and the Chiefs remain deadlocked when it comes to contract negotiations. That makes sense, as long-term extensions for players who are already 27-years-old can get dicey. But, the issue seems to be that he simply wants way too much money.
Local Kansas City radio host Carrington Harrison tweeted out some things he claims to know about the L’Jarius Sneed situation. Take a look.
A couple things I can report/confirm re: L'Jarius Sneed
– No team has made a 2nd round offer
– Sneed's desire is to become the highest paid CB in the league and that's been the major hold up
– The Chiefs are fine with him playing on tag next season
– The medicals are concerning— Carrington Harrison (@cdotharrison) March 18, 2024
As I said before, L’Jarius Sneed a good cornerback, maybe even a star cornerback. But, he’s nowhere near the best cornerback in the league, and that’s how he wants to get paid.
Pro Football Focus player grades are far from perfect. But, they’re a relatively good indicator of how a player performs. Sneed was the 30th-ranked corner in the league last year. That’s good, but is far from the level of a guy who wants to have the biggest contract in the league at the position.
Currently, the top corners are getting paid at just over $20 million a year. If Sneed does play on the tag, they calculate that salary by averaging out the five highest paid cornerbacks in the league and then give Sneed that salary. Paying someone that kind of money for one year is a lot less of a commitment than the 5-year $100 million with $70 million guaranteed that Browns superstar cornerback Denzel Ward got. If that’s the kind of deal L’Jarius Sneed thinks he deserves, he has misjudged the market for a player of his caliber.
Sneed may want to cut a little bit of a discount and get guaranteed money right now. People always say that NFL stands for “not for long”, and one injury next year could mean he earns a lot less money over the next few years.