The football world was shocked to learn that Kansas City Chiefs defensive back L’Jarius Sneed had been traded to the Tennessee Titans. The early Saturday morning news didn’t leave much time for reaction from many players and front-office personnel, aside from social media.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is at the NFL’s league meetings this week with the other coaches as teams prepare for the 2024 season. He was asked about Sneed’s inevitable departure by writer Paul Kuharsky.
“[Sneed is] one of my all-time favorite guys, a great human being as great a player as he is, [an even] better human being, and as tough as you can imagine,” Reid said. “I’m his biggest fan. Absolutely.”
Andy Reid on L’Jarius Sneed, who the #Chiefs just traded to the #Titans. pic.twitter.com/PlDoi5JAkb
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) March 25, 2024
Sneed was an integral part of the Chiefs’ improved defensive unit in 2023, and his free agency this offseason earned him a long-term payday with the Titans. The salary cap structure made keeping him a difficult proposition for Brett Veach and his staff, which led to Sneed being franchise-tagged and necessitated that Kansas City explore a trade.
“I mean, he (Brett Veach) juggled the salary cap, and it’s ridiculous… what you have to go through, and players you can keep, and you can’t keep, but we all love them here, that wasn’t the problem,” Reid explained. “He was our lockdown guy. Every best receiver. He had the best receiver.”
Reid and the Chiefs understood the business had overshadowed their personal feelings about Sneed, the player and person. His presence will be missed, but the team needs to adjust financially to compete for Super Bowl titles long-term.
