L'Jarius Sneed

That was somewhat unexpected. Sneed missed Wednesday’s practice for personal reasons and was limited Thursday and Friday. He was moved to injured reserve a day later. The Chiefs are now down their top two corners after Mansoor Delane was ruled out for Week 8, creating a much softer matchup for the Broncos on Sunday.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz was first to report the reunion between the Chiefs and Sneed. The veteran corner last played for the Chiefs in 2023 and was traded to the Titans in the 2024 offseason. Over the last two seasons, Sneed has struggled with multiple injuries, limiting him to just 12 games. Sneed, 29, will also reunite with defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, which could bode well for him as he returns to a familiar environment and a team he helped lead to two Super Bowl titles.

Clearly there was no rush to add him to the roster. It’s the first sniff of NFL interest we’ve seen for the former star cornerback since he was released by the Titans, and unsurprisingly it was with his former employers in Kansas City. We suspect this has a chance of happening at some point this offseason, but the 29-year-old Sneed is likely to sift through options ahead of training camp.

Sneed had been “charged with aggravated assault that was reduced by the grand jury to the misdemeanor offense of failure to report the commission of a felony,” according to Schefter. That could clear the way for the mega-bust to sign on with a cornerback-needy team in the coming weeks. Sneed, 29, was released by the Titans in March after signing four-year, $76.4 million deal in 2024 that included $55 million in guaranteed money. He will probably have to settle for a prove-it deal for 2026.

Sneed’s contract will go down as one of the worst in recent memory. The 29-year-old corner joined the Titans in 2024 on a four-year, $76.4 million deal that included $55 million in guaranteed money, and appeared in just 12 games during his two seasons with the team. Knee injuries plagued the majority of Sneed’s time with the Titans, but it was a quad injury that landed him on season-ending IR last October. Sneed was one of the top corners in the league during his time with the Chiefs, but his recent string of injuries begs the question of how much is left in the tank at this stage of his career. If he wants to continue playing, he will likely need to do so on a one-year prove-it deal to show he can stay healthy for a full season while still contributing at a high level.

A balky knee has impeded Sneed’s play for much of the year. The 28-year-old perimeter cornerback is currently allowing 17.2 yards per reception, 5.3 more than his prior career-worst average. Adding a quad issue to the mix was only going to make things worse. Sneed will now miss at least four games and will be eligible to return in Week 13. The team’s bye occurs in Week 10. CB Darrell Baker Jr. is listed as his backup.

Sneed left Week 7’s game against the Patriots and was quickly ruled out. This seems to confirm he has little chance to play this week. Frankly, with how poorly Sneed has been playing in his limited snaps, the Titans could probably use those snaps to evaluate younger players. The Sneed contract has been a boondoggle for Tennessee through two years.

Sneed was again out there on Friday, so he’s likely on the optimistic side of questionable. We’re not sure how much the Titans should expect from Sneed after all his time off, but they have to be hoping he can at least help contain Courtland Sutton and company on Sunday.

This should be the norm for Sneed, who underwent a cleanup procedure on his ailing knee this summer. Head coach Brian Callahan said that Sneed’s knee will need to be managed “all the time” so he will likely practice in an abbreviated manner all year. Speedy wide receivers could give him fits in his age-28 season. Titans OT Dan Moore Jr. (ankle) did not practice today.

Sneed joined the active roster on August 20th after spending nearly one month on the active/physically unable to perform list, so one would hope he is ready to go by Week 1, given the extended absence. Back in May, Titans head coach Brian Callahan acknowledged that Sneed’s balky knee requires management “all the time,” and the veteran cornerback underwent a cleanup procedure in late July. While the Titans would presumably prefer to feature Sneed as a starter, it’s possible the knee issue limits him to a rotational role.

Sneed told reporters that he is confident he’ll play in Week 1’s game against the Broncos, but only worked on individual drills in his first day off the PUP list today. It will be a big boost for the Titans secondary if Sneed can play and be as effective as he was for the Chiefs before the trade — Sneed appeared in only five games last year for Tennessee.

Callahan wouldn’t provide a timeline for Sneed’s return, but it’s encouraging news for the veteran corner who has been on the PUP list all of camp. Sneed had a cleanup procedure for his knee back in May. He appeared in just five games for the Titans last season due to a quad injury, and said in June that he was as “healthy as [he’s] been.” Sneed, 28, signed a four-year, $76.4 million contract with the Titans last offseason and is expected to play a key role for a secondary that ranked ninth in YPA allowed last season. If Sneed is indeed ready to go in the near future, we would expect he’d be ready for Week 1 against the Broncos.

Good to know things project to be normal with Sneed again this year. Sneed declared himself healthy in late June, but this puts him at a real chance of missing 2025 action. The Titans did note that he’s officially shook his quad injury, so at least there’s that on the positive side of the ledger.

Sneed ultimately caveated the initial statement by saying he is as “healthy as [he’s] been,” effectively acknowledging that his balky knee will likely require continued maintenance. Overall, this is good news for both Sneed and the Titans’ defense, though. The veteran cornerback is capable of covering wide receivers both on the perimeter and in the slot.

The latest update on Sneed’s health fails to reassure. Sneed was shut down after Week 6 last year, in his first season with the Titans, after suffering a quad injury that required a bone marrow injection and immobilization in January to aid the healing process. Titans head coach Brian Callahan also acknowledged that Sneed does, in fact, have a recurring knee injury that requires management “all the time,” ostensibly stemming from his Super Bowl LVII injury designation back in 2023, while playing for the Chiefs. Callahan did add that Sneed is “progressing as expected,” but it is unclear when Sneed is expected to resume practicing.

The individual suing Sneed reportedly alleges that either “Sneed or Sneed’s personal assistant shot at him while” parked at a car dealership. The individual’s lawyer also claims that there is video evidence to support the allegation. Other details are currently unknown. Sneed is also rehabbing a quad injury suffered in-season last year.

Sneed played just five games for the Titans in 2024 as he struggled with a quad injury that eventually landed him on injured reserve. The big-money 2024 acquisition will be Tennessee’s No. 1 corner in 2025 provided he’s healthy.

This doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Sneed’s quad injury has been plaguing him for Weeks and officially landed him on injured reserve back on November 22nd. Between the injury and the Titans’ 3-11 record, there’s no reason to force Sneed back on the field even if the team did think he was well enough to play. Sneed is in the first year of a four-year contract extension he signed this offseason. He played in just five games in his first year with the Titans, totaling 23 tackles and two TFLs while earning a PFF coverage grade of 36.8 — a career-low. One of the league’s premiere corners will hope for better fortunes in his second year with the team next season.