Chiefs' big offseason decision looks better as 2024 season progresses

Sunday is the sort of game that L'Jarius Sneed was made for. A divisional matchup for the Tennessee Titans against the Houston Texans and the need in the defensive backfield for an impact player in coverage who can slow or stymie the likes of C.J. Stroud and company.

Instead, the Titans will be pressed into leaning on Darrell Baker again. That's not what anyone pictures when making a $70+ million investment.

Titans head coach Brian Callahan announced that Sneed would be sitting out the team's Week 12 matchup against their AFC South rivals, the Texans, which would make it the sixth consecutive game missed for Sneed so far this season. A quad injury is to blame and it's impossible to tell exactly when he will be back.

For both player and team, it's been a frustrating first season as the Titans have a mere two wins under their belt in Callahan's first seasons and Sneed has yet to record a turnover—or even a deflection. In his previous four seasons in the NFL, Sneed only missed 8 games total due to injury and averaged 16 starts per season over the last three years.

The investment for (and in) Sneed is even greater than his substantial four-year contract, which included $51.5 million in guaranteed money. The team also traded away their third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to secure the rights to him via the Chiefs, who'd used the franchise tag to guarantee something in return for their efforts.

For the Chiefs, Sneed had been a versatile chess piece who could live on the boundary at corner or travel with a team's top receiver, a player who was willing and more than capable in stepping up against the run, blitzing the passer, or staying with his man in coverage. HIs ability to lock down any opposing pass catcher made life much easier for Steve Spagnuolo, the team's defensive coordinator.

The Titans added Sneed with the long-term view in mind, as the veteran anchor in the back half of the defense for a team facing a rebuild. That's all still very much in place and the Titans will undoubtedly add fresh new talent this offseason around Sneed in the hopes of becoming much more dynamic in the secondary. But for now, it's hard not to look at Sneed's first half-season in Tennessee as an unfortunte one.