The Tennessee Titans are nearing the final stages of a trade deal to acquire cornerback L’Jarius Sneed from the Kansas City Chiefs, as reported by a source familiar with the negotiations. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, noted that the deal is contingent upon Sneed passing a physical examination and agreeing to a new contract.
Recently, the Chiefs placed the $19.8 million non-exclusive franchise tag on Sneed but failed to reach a long-term contract agreement, prompting the trade. Under the terms of the arrangement, Tennessee would surrender their third-round pick in the 2025 draft and also swap seventh-round picks with the Chiefs in the upcoming draft.
At 27 years old, Sneed has emerged as one of the premier cornerbacks in the league since being drafted in the fourth round in 2020. He played a pivotal role in the defense that contributed to the Kansas City Chiefs securing consecutive Super Bowl titles.
Known for effectively neutralizing top receivers on the field, Sneed boasted an impressive passer rating of just 55.9 when covering in the regular season, ranking fifth among cornerbacks. Up until the playoffs against Buffalo, he had not allowed any touchdown passes. Moreover, only Davante Adams from the Raiders managed to secure more than two catches in a game while being covered by Sneed. During the previous season, Sneed intercepted the ball twice and defended 14 passes across 16 games, bringing his total career interceptions to 10 and passes defended to 40.
In addition to this acquisition, the Titans have also secured the services of Cincinnati cornerback Chidobe Awuzie on a three-year contract valued at $36 million, with $23 million guaranteed at the onset of free agency. The team’s new defensive coordinator, Dennard Wilson, seeks assistance with Caleb Farley, the team’s 22nd pick in 2021, who has been limited to just 12 games due to injuries.
Despite ranking 18th in pass defense, allowing 227.4 yards per game, the Titans struggled with interceptions, recording only six throughout the entire 2023 season. Notably, Tennessee competes in the AFC South, which features promising young quarterbacks such as C.J. Stroud in Houston, Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville, and Anthony Richardson in Indianapolis.
