There are likely still “wet paint” and “work in progress” signs hanging around the Chiefs secondary at this point in the offseason, considering the massive positional overhaul going on at both cornerback and safety. Bryan Cook, Trent McDuffie, Joshua Williams, and Jaylen Watson are all gone, and it’s possible the depth chart at cornerback is almost entirely comprised of new players in ’26.

This is where L’Jarius Sneed comes in. He’s now a free agent able to sign with any team after being released by the Tennessee Titans. It’s been a rather forgettable two years for Sneed—apart from the $43 million he was paid in 2024-25—with injuries on the field and legal troubles off of it. However, the dust has settled on the latter, leaving his health as the primary concern going forward.

The Chiefs aren’t without talent despite the personnel losses. Mansoor Delane is the new cornerstone, Kader Kohou was signed to compete for slot reps, and Jadon Canady was drafted to fight for the same. Nohl Williams is still around, as is Kristian Fulton (although who knows what the team really thinks of him). Kevin Knowles and Chris Roland-Wallace round out the depth chart. Kaiir Elam is the rebound project.

Lingering questions at cornerback could make a reunion with L’Jarius Sneed surprisingly realistic.

While it sounds like K.C. might have done enough at corner to forget about Sneed as an option, the truth is that there’s still plenty of questions at the position. Kohou missed all of last season due to injury, so the Chiefs would be foolish to count on anything there. Elam is a bust and nothing more so far in his NFL career. Delane and Canady have never played a rep of football, so slotting them both in as instant starters outside and inside feels rather optimistic.

Basically, it’s possible that Kohou is not effective and Canady needs time and Fulton is still not trusted. If any one of those are true, then there’s room for a player like Sneed, who excelled within this very system. Remember, only two years ago, the Chiefs were able to tag-and-trade Sneed because he’d developed a reputation as a lockdown corner for a championship defense.

No one should view Sneed as a veteran who would return right back to the role he played before. But bringing him in for a physical and a conversation about a possible fit feels like a plausible scenario. The Chiefs have done a lot at cornerback, but as long as Sneed is floating out there on the open market, this question of a homecoming in K.C. is going to be asked.