Chiefs Feel L'Jarius Sneed Can Star in Secondary Again: 'Playing Like That Right Now'

The Kansas City Chiefs made multiple tough calls when they whittled their offseason roster to an initial 53, and one move at the cornerback spot was deemed shocking by many.

General manager Brett Veach parted ways with Kader Kohou, who was widely projected to be the club's first-string slot corner as recently as training camp. The veteran has since returned to the practice squad, but that doesn't change the message sent with that transaction.

Kansas City clearly believes in its in-house options, headlined by L'Jarius Sneed. It'd be foolish to expect his second stint in town to unfold similarly to the first, although those within the building don't notice much of a decline.

Speaking to the media, head coach Andy Reid raved about Sneed's versatility and said he's playing in practice like he did in games years ago.

"He can play inside or outside," Reid said. "That's the advantage you gain there with him. He loves doing both. And his size, he's a big kid, tough. Arguably one of the best corners in the league when he left here, and now that he's back healthy and going, I'd tell you he's playing like that right now. He's doing a nice job."

For Sneed to reach those heights again or come even remotely close to them, it'd be a minor miracle. After all, the 2023 campaign was perhaps the best defensive back play in the sport, not merely on the team. In 16 regular-season contests, the former fourth-round pick logged 78 tackles with 14 pass breakups and a pair of interceptions while surrendering just a 56.2 passer rating in coverage.

Sneed, who describes being a Chief again as being "back at home," also did all of that while being a boundary stopper for the first time in his career. In the years prior, he split time between serving as an outside corner and lining up in the slot, and the Kohou departure from the depth chart means the nickel role is expected to be his once again.

It's something Sneed didn't necessarily anticipate doing when he got into the NFL back in 2020, but defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo unlocked the door to a whole new world for him.

"Yeah, I missed it," Sneed said. "Spags threw me in there my second year. He just threw me in there, and I fell in love with it."

Unfortunately for Sneed, his time between stretches in Kansas City couldn't have gone much worse. Across two seasons as a member of the Tennessee Titans, he appeared in just 12 of 34 possible games and ceded 7.9 yards per target, 13.6 yards per completion and a 107.7 passer rating. Injuries and deteriorated skill reared their ugly heads, resulting in the worst production of his career.

Head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder and his crew have Sneed's chronic knee issues under control, the cornerback says, now that he's in a familiar environment. It's the same practice and treatment plan as before, even with his 30th birthday only four months away.

If Sneed ends up getting significant in-game reps in 2026, he's prepared for it. Only the snaps will tell whether Reid'd assessment of the current state of his game is true.

"Wherever they put me at, I'll put my pads on and I'm ready to go," Sneed said.

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