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Turon Davenport, ESPN
The Kansas City Chiefs are finalizing a deal to send star cornerback Rajarius Snead to the Tennessee Titans, league sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Friday night.
The Chiefs will receive a 2024 seventh-round pick and a 2025 third-round pick for Snead, who signs a new contract with Tennessee, according to sources.
Snead and the Titans have a framework for an agreement that they have been working on for days, sources told Schefter. After passing Snead's physical exam, he was officially recognized, making him one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in NFL history.
The Chiefs placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Snead earlier this month. That allowed him to talk to other teams, and the team was able to work out a trade with the Chiefs.
The Titans already signed veteran cornerback Chidobe Awuzie to a three-year, $36 million contract at the start of free agency. Snead and Owuzie will be the outside cornerbacks, with Roger McCleary at nickel, as the Titans will play quarterbacks CJ Stroud, Trevor Lawrence and Anthony Richardson in the AFC South.
Snead joins the Titans' list of important free agent acquisitions this offseason, including linebacker Kenneth Murray. General manager Ran Carson signed center Lloyd Cushenberry and guard Saadiq Charles to strengthen the offensive line. Carson also revitalized the offensive line by adding wide receiver Calvin Ridley and running back Tony Pollard.
In 2023, Snead had his best season in many ways since joining the Chiefs as a fourth-round draft pick in 2020. Snead covered the opponent's top receiver on at least 65% of the snaps a league-high seven times during regular games. season, according to NFL Next Gen Stats data.
Only once did those receivers catch more than one pass. Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders had five catches for 73 yards on seven targets in Week 12 against Snead.
Snead, 27, did not allow a touchdown catch as the closest defender in coverage all season until the Chiefs' win over the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round playoffs.
In the AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens, Snead tied with Zai Flowers for 21 innings. Snead allowed one catch for 54 yards, but late in the game he made one of the game's biggest plays, knocking the ball away from Flowers just before it crossed the goal line. The Chiefs recovered the fumble in the end zone.
Snead had 10 interceptions and 40 passes defensed in 57 regular season games. He had one interception and defended seven passes in 13 postseason games.
If the trade goes through, Snead's move to Tennessee would free up $19.8 million against the Chiefs' salary cap.
Information from ESPN's Adam Taicher was used in this report.
