L'Jarius Sneed didn't want to leave Kansas City, the home in which he earned two Super Bowl rings. Life -- and business -- had other plans.
After using the franchise tag on Sneed, the Chiefs traded the physical cornerback to Tennessee this offseason -- in a cost-saving move as they prioritized other areas of the roster -- in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick and a swap of 2024 seventh-round selections.
Sneed inked a four-year, $76.4 million contract with the Titans, where he's a key building block of an offseason overhaul in Tennessee.
On a recent episode of The Pivot Podcast, Sneed said leaving K.C. wasn't his choice.
"Yeah, man, I didn't talk to them. I was upset, man," he said. "I was upset, you know Kansas City, that's like my first love. They showed me the way, showed me how to be a champion, gave me two rings. You know I was bitter. I was angry because I wanted to stay in that environment around everybody who I was used to. But it's God's plan."
The Chiefs drafted Sneed in the fourth round in 2020. Since then, he's grown into one of the most physical corners in the NFL and a player who can match up against any wideout. It wasn't that K.C. didn't believe in the Pro Bowl snub but prioritized spending elsewhere.
The club paid defensive tackle Chris Jones massive money, made tight end Travis Kelce and kicker Harrison Butker the highest-paid at their positions, brought back linebacker Drue Tranquill and edge Mike Danna, inked Hollywood Brown, and spent elsewhere with a young pipeline in place at the corner.
Knowing why his former club moved on doesn't make it any easier.
"Yeah, I miss them," Sneed said of his former teammates. "I miss them, but you know, it's like your ex, your first love. Business first, you've got to move on."
As numerous players find out in the days surrounding cuts, it's a brutal business in many facets.
