The Kansas City Chiefs are finalizing a deal to send star cornerback L'Jarius Snead to the Tennessee Titans, league sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Friday night.
The Chiefs will receive a 2025 third-round pick in addition to a 2024 seventh-round pick swap for Snead, who will sign a new contract with Tennessee, sources said.
Sneed and the Titans have the framework of a deal they've been working on for days, sources told Schefter. That will be formalized after Snead passes his health, and it will make him one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in NFL history.
The Chiefs placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Snead earlier this month. This allowed him to talk to other groups and then he could trade with the leaders.
The Titans already signed veteran cornerback Sidope Auzie to a three-year, $36 million contract at the start of free agency. Snead and Awsey will replace Roger McCreary as the nickel outside cornerbacks as the Titans compete in the AFC South with quarterbacks CJ Stroud, Trevor Lawrence and Anthony Richardson.
Snead joins a roster of Titans free agent acquisitions this offseason that includes linebacker Kenneth Murray. General manager Ran Garthen signed Lloyd Cushenberry and guard Sahtiq Charles to shore up the offensive line. The offense got a boost when Garton added wide receiver Calvin Ridley and running back Tony Pollard.
In 2023, Snead had his best season by many metrics since joining the Chiefs as a fourth-round draft pick in 2020. Snead hit the opponents' top receiver on at least 65% of the snaps during a regular season. season, according to NFL Next Gen status data.
Only once did any of those receivers catch more than two passes. Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders had five catches for 73 yards on seven targets in a Week 12 game against Snead.
Snead, 27, didn't allow a touchdown catch as the closest defender in coverage all season until the Chiefs' divisional-round playoff win over the Buffalo Bills.
In the AFC Championship game against the Baltimore Ravens, Snead lined up against Jay Flowers 21 times. Snead allowed one catch for 54 yards, but later in the game he knocked the ball away from Flowers just before crossing the goal line for what turned out to be one of the biggest plays of the game. The Chiefs recovered a fumble in the end zone.
In 57 regular-season games, Snead had 10 interceptions and 40 passes defensed. He has one interception and seven passes defensed in 13 postseason games.
Once the trade is executed, Snead's departure to Tennessee will free up $19.8 million against the Chiefs' salary cap.
Information from ESPN's Adam Teicher was used in this report.
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