Reporter reveals chances of Chiefs franchise-tagging star DB

Verderame said that sources told him that nothing is set in stone, but the chances were good.

This came shortly after Chiefs general manager Brett Veach met with reporters and said he was hoping to keep both Sneed and All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones on the squad.

As quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce are two of the most important pieces to the team's offense, Jones and Sneed are arguably the biggest stars on a loaded defense.

Kansas City's offense hit a lull during the middle of the 2023 regular season, scoring over 20 points just three times over a two-month stretch from Weeks 8-16 and going 3-5. The defense remained one of the best in the league however, allowing over 25 points in a contest only once all year and finishing the campaign ranked second in points allowed per game (17.3).

The Chiefs limited some of the best offenses in the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers to a combined 63 points in the playoffs, as Sneed and company won a pair of road contests on their way to another Super Bowl title.

Sneed led the team in passes defended (14) and interceptions (two) in the regular season and was tied for second in solo tackles (60).

Per ESPN's Adam Teicher, tagging Jones would cost the team more than $32M against their salary cap, while doing so for Sneed would cost about $19M.