Early Saturday morning, some Indianapolis Colts bloggers set the Chiefs Kingdom on fire, reporting that Kansas City Cornerback L’Jarius Sneed was on his way to play for the AFC South Team. Sneed is still a Chief and might be for a long time.
Internet rumors are the lifeblood of the new wave of social media. Twitter, aka X, leads the way regarding NFL news. With a thumb click, news about your favorite sports team or player can alter your mood or day. It also sets a five-minute chain reaction with each tweet, or it could linger for days.
A pair of Indianapolis Colts’ bloggers, Destin Adams, and Captain Colt, stuck to their guns and insisted that the Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts were about to swing a deal to send a draft pick to KC and Sneed to the Colts. Of course, a massive contract had to be part of any trade, and to their credit, they both acknowledged that getting that done would be a chore.
To be clear, I respect Destin and the Captain because I’ve been in their shoes in my days at Warpaint Illustrated. Sometimes, I was correct with rumors, and others, even to this day, still follow me around.
So, let’s clear up a few things.
As the Chiefs Non-Exclusive Franchise Tag recipient, L’Jarius Sneed has been permitted to seek a sign-and-trade with any NFL team that offers the Chiefs fair compensation for his talents. According to their reports, the Colts have agreed to that compensation, giving Kansas City, as they suggested, a third-round pick.
The problem with that report is that, per sources, the Colts have yet to make an offer to the Chiefs. Instead, to date, the only team willing to send a draft pick to Kansas City for Sneed is the Tennessee Titans, who have made an offer.
If Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach liked the offer, Sneed would be a Titan, provided he gets the contract he’s seeking.
What is that contract value?
This is a bit harder to gauge, but I’ve heard between offers and expectations, the deal falls somewhere in the $19-23 Million per year range.
Further complicating talks between the Colts and Chiefs, Brett Veach was the General Manager in waiting once the team rid itself of John Dorsey. That meant Chris Ballard didn’t get the Chiefs GM job. He ended up as the Colts’ GM, and one must think some animosity exists that could prevent both sides from making a deal.
So, what’s the reality?
That’s not easy to answer either because, over the last 72 hours, the talk around league circles is that Sneed would prefer to remain in Kansas City and there is a possibiilty he signs his franchise tag.
After all, he loves his Defensive Coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, and Secondary Coach, Dave Merritt, who built their back end to accommodate Sneed’s extraordinary talents. If the price point is reasonable, I’ve always maintained that Sneed could get a four-year deal from the Chiefs.
Still, nobody knows for sure. Other than the two teams in the mix, the Colts and Titans remain interested, and that’s a good problem for Veach. Further, any talk of sending a third-round pick for Sneed will be rejected.
SI Now writer Matt Verderame appears to be current on the latest. His recent tweet (see below) is the most accurate I’ve seen and is similar to what I’ve heard.
So what’s fair?
Suppose I’m Veach, who is in a win-win situation with Sneed. If a team wants to pry Sneed from the Chiefs and pay him a massive contract, the Chiefs, at a minimum, want a second-round pick and more.
Sneed is the best cover corner in the NFL, and it’s not even close. He has every right to demand a massive contract, and I hope he gets it in Kansas City or elsewhere.
Sneed is one of the good guys; he’s paid his dues and deserves to get the bag for his family.
On the flip side, even though the Chiefs want to retain Sneed, the NFL is a business, and all parties understand the rules and the demands in making such a deal so that both teams, should a trade be executed, all sides can engage in a positive outcome.
Again, part of me hopes the young bloggers are correct because I’ve seen some poor takes from Colts fans who are upset the deal has not happened and some insensitive comments directed at them. Their misplaced anger should not be directed negatively because of their willingness to stick to their tweets. I applaud them for doing just that!
Conversely, I hope Sneed stays in Kansas City, giving the Chiefs the favorite to Three-Peat as Super Bowl Champions with him on the field.
No matter who ends up right, Sneed is a valuable commodity to the three teams, and he has a front-row seat to settling his future.
What teams are willing to pay him remains to be seen.
