The Kansas City Chiefs must determine this offseason whether they want to retain defensive tackle Chris Jones or L’Jarius Sneed, as it will be very difficult to keep both.
According to Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay, the Chiefs should retain the latter and let Jones walk during free agency after eight seasons in Kansas City.
“Considering neither player has intimated a willingness to give the Chiefs a significant discount during contract negotiations, Kansas City’s brass must pick one to commit to. While it will be a heart-wrenching choice, letting Jones—one of only three Chiefs players to start in all three of their Super Bowl victories over the past half-decade—go is ultimately the best choice,” Kay explained on February 19.
“The Chiefs must consider that Sneed is 2.5 years younger than his defensive lineman teammate and is only going to be entering his fifth NFL season in 2024,” Kay continued. “He’s a sound long-term investment for Kansas City, especially with Spotrac projecting Sneed will make $16.3 million annually on his next contract. That is a magnitude less than Jones’ market value of $28.4 million per year.”
It’s Time for Chiefs to Make a Decision
Though both Jones, 29, and Sneed, 27, won’t hit free agency until March 13 (when the new league year begins), the Chiefs can prioritize which player they want to retain as soon as Tuesday, February 20. That’s the first day in which teams can opt to franchise tag a player.
Due to Jones’s 2023 cap number, his franchise tag price would be $32 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Meanwhile, Sneed’s franchise tag price would be the going rate for cornerbacks, which is $18.7 million, per Over The Cap.
Ultimately, the Chiefs would place the tag on one of those players to give themselves more time to agree to a long-term deal with that player.
The player that isn’t tagged has until March 11 (the start of the legal tampering period for free agency) to agree to a deal with the Chiefs. The player that is tagged has until July 17 to strike a new deal, as that is the deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign a deal.
The deadline for teams to franchise tag a player is March 5.
Why Chiefs Should Retain Chris Jones
Though Kay believes Jones will be the one kicked to the curb this offseason, there’s a case to be made that Sneed will be the odd man out in Kansas City.
Yes, Jones’s franchise tag number is significantly larger than Sneed’s. However, tagging Jones and then agreeing to a long-term deal would significantly reduce that cap number. Plus, Jones said at Kansas City’s Super Bowl parade “I ain’t going nowhere,” which hints at his willingness to take some kind of a hometown discount to stay with the two-time defending Super Bowl champions.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs have shown an ability to draft and develop cornerbacks which is evident in Sneed, Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, and Joshua Williams. Former Chief Charvarius Ward, who has developed into an All-Pro, is another example who isn’t on the team anymore.
Because of this, focusing on a deal with Jones and letting Sneed walk in free agency makes a lot of sense.
Jones is as irreplaceable as it gets on the defensive side of the football. So, Kansas City could keep him, let Sneed walk, draft and develop another young CB, and have enough talent in place to attempt a three-peat next season.
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