The one question every Kansas City Chiefs fan is asking about L’Jarius Sneed’s return — and the not-so-simple answer
When L’Jarius Sneed left the Kansas City Chiefs via trade, he was coming off one of the best cornerback seasons in recent franchise history. Now, there are questions about whether the team will consider moving him to a more hybrid-style safety role.
The Kansas City Chiefs have brought CB L’Jarius Sneed back to the team, with reports that he’ll sign a one-year deal after a recent visit.
Sneed returns to Kansas City after a short-lived stint with the Tennessee Titans. He lasted just two injury-riddled years with the AFC South club after the Chiefs traded him away during the 2024 NFL offseason.
One of the biggest questions fans are asking about Sneed’s return: Will he still play the same position in Kansas City?
The 29-year-old left the Chiefs after one of the best cornerback seasons in recent franchise history. Sneed started 17 regular-season games en route to a Super Bowl win. He was the team’s No. 1 cornerback, entrusted with traveling with the No. 1 WR of each opponent.
Chiefs CB L’Jarius Sneed’s 2023 NFL Season Stats & Facts
Steve Spagnuolo doesn’t typically ask his cornerbacks to cover opposing teams’ No. 1 wide receivers. Sneed broke that trend in 2023, earning the trust of his defensive coordinator.
- Games started: 17
- Targets: 80
- Receptions allowed: 42
- Touchdowns allowed: 0
- Interceptions: 2
- PBUs: 10
- Passer rating allowed: 55.6
Should the Chiefs move L’Jarius Sneed to safety?
There are a few big reasons this idea of a position switch to safety is top of mind for Sneed’s return, and the answer to the question is not so simple.
Sneed played safety during high school and college. During his senior year at Louisiana Tech (2019), he started all 13 games at free safety. He posted a team-high 72 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and three interceptions that season. He has the ability to play the position.
Sneed is long in the tooth (older). Yet, his playstyle aligns with that of NFL cornerbacks who later switched spots. It’s the Charles Woodson-style career arc — an elite cornerback who extended his NFL career by sliding to safety. Sneed has the instincts, run support, and ball skills to thrive at safety, even if his athleticism has been slightly sapped by injuries.
On the other side of the argument is inexperience: The Chiefs lost Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Joshua Williams and Bryan Cook this offseason. They have a young CB room that could use a proven veteran. Sneed’s story in 2024 and 2025 was an injury story, and not necessarily a talent cliff. There’s no reason that he can’t return to being an elite press-man cornerback in Kansas City under the familiarity of Steve Spagnuolo’s system.
Perhaps a hybrid role is a smarter use of Sneed? See what he can give you at safety, but you’ve got a good fallback. That could be as outside corner depth, or it could be as an ace slot defender. We already know that he can play in the slot (1,283 snaps from 2020-2023), and the Chiefs have an open competition there. We also know that NFL trends seem to be flipping toward bigger cornerbacks finding success in the slot.
No matter what role he plays, it’s hard to complain about the Chiefs adding quality depth in the secondary. Nickel defense is the new base personnel in the NFL, with over 60% of all defensive snaps featuring at least five defensive backs for multiple years now. Sneed could theoretically play any of them. It’s why it’s such an intriguing signing by Kansas City.