The Kansas City Chiefs beat the buzzer ahead of NFL free agency, re-signing All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones to prevent him from hitting the open market. While the star Chiefs’ trio is staying together, there’s still plenty of room for Kansas City to improve this offseason.
Re-signing Jones was the most important thing Kansas City needed to do this spring. Not only is he beloved in the locker room, but the three-time Super Bowl champion has made game-changing plays in critical moments that helped the team house the Lombardi Trophy. It’s now time to build an even better team around Patrick Mahomes.
Kansas City doesn’t win the Super Bowl without cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. He was one of the best NFL players in coverage this past season, routinely delivering his greatest performances against top wide receivers. While the Chiefs placed the franchise tag on him, that was just to keep him out of NFL free agency. With Jones under contract, there’s no reasonable path to keeping Sneed and his $19.8 million cap hit.
Fortunately, with Jaylon Johnson off the market, Sneed is the most in-demand cornerback this offseason. He’s already generating massive interest and the Chiefs have granted his agent permission to find him a long-term home. While it’s probably not the best idea for Kansas City to trade Sneed to another Super Bowl contender, there are other alternatives around the NFL.
