L’Jarius Sneed is still under contract with the Kansas City Chiefs under the franchise tag and while the team came close to trading him, a major hurdle stymied their efforts.
According to Nate Taylor of The Athletic, the Chiefs actually had the “framework” of a trade with the Tennessee Titans to send Sneed to the Volunteer State. However, the “final major hurdle” was a multi-year contract extension for Sneed and the Titans were unable to sign off on it.
“The trade never happened, though. The Titans couldn’t sign off on it because of the final major hurdle: agreeing to a multiyear contract with Sneed, on whom the Chiefs placed the non-exclusive franchise tag earlier this month,” Taylor wrote.
“Similar to most players in this situation, Sneed doesn’t want to play on the franchise tag, whether for the Chiefs or another team, according to league sources. And Sneed wants a new contract — a three- or four-year deal — that will make him at least one of the highest-paid players at his position, according to a different league source.”
The deal falling through leaves the Chiefs in a somewhat difficult position. While Sneed is a great cornerback, he counts $19.8 million against the cap this season if he plays under the franchise tag.
That’s not the kind of money any team would want invested in a single defensive back while there are so many other players they want to bring into the fold.
Will the Chiefs be able to find another trade partner who will take Sneed off their hands?