Chiefs Stock Watch, Week 17: Isiah Pacheco pops off as Chiefs silence Bengals
By Ken Coltharp
Stock Up: L'Jarius Sneed
There was a question as to whether or not L'Jarius Sneed would suit up for the Week 17 tilt against Cincinnati. Sneed heard the constant chirping from the peanut gallery, known as the Bengals wide receiver room, and decided he could lace them up today. Sneed would turn in another masterclass on locking down top-tier wide receivers by shutting down Ja'Marr Chase all afternoon.
According to Next Gen Stats, Sneed lined up against Chase for over 60% of Chase's snaps and held him to only two catches for 27 yards on three targets. If that is not what a shutdown cornerback is, then shutdown cornerbacks do not exist.
Whether or not to bring Sneed back after his contract ends at the end of the year has been widely discussed. Sneed is balling out by shutting down several of the top receivers in the league, adhering to the adage that the contract year is undefeated. An apparent exception to that rule lined up at offensive tackle for the Bengals, but there will always be outliers.
The Chiefs have an heir apparent to the CB1 position in Trent McDuffie. Still, Sneed is making it more and more difficult to not justify bringing him back. His price tag will be higher than Charvarius Ward's was when he left, and we can all see how well he has played in San Francisco. Is Brett Veach really going to roll the dice again on finding another cornerback to fill the void that Sneed would leave if he skips town, or will Veach find it in the budget to keep one of the best cornerbacks in the league in a Chiefs uniform?