L’Jarius Sneed, after spending the last three seasons primarily on the boundary, is officially moving back to the slot for the Chiefs in Nickel formations, and you can practically hear his excitement from here. This guy, who signed during OTAs to bring some much-needed veteran experience to a young defensive backfield, is ready for Week 1, telling Sports Radio 810 WHB, “Wherever they put me at, I’m ready to go.” That’s the kind of dedication you love to see, especially from a player still managing a knee injury that has been a career-long challenge.
The Return of the Playmaker
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid isn’t subtle about what Sneed brings to the table, calling him “arguably one of the best corners in the league when he left here.” Now that he’s back healthy, Reid says he’s “playing like that right now.” Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo clearly has a plan, shifting Sneed inside, a move the cornerback is absolutely thrilled about. “Yeah, I miss it,” Sneed said about playing the Nickel position. He “fell in love with it” back in his second year when Spags first threw him in there. Before Sneed was locking down No. 1 receivers on the outside in 2023, he was a genuine playmaker in the slot, flashing as a blitzer and a force in run defense. He’s hyped to have more responsibilities than just press coverage, saying, “I feel like I can move around and do what I want to do. Not just locked down on one side.”
Old Tricks, New Role (and a Healthy Knee!)
So why the shift? It’s all about maximizing talent. The Chiefs have young guns like rookie Mansoor Delane and Nohl Williams stepping up as starters on the outside, and Sneed is totally supportive of his fresh-faced teammates. This move inside allows the Chiefs to get their best players on the field in the right spots. A huge shout-out also goes to Rick Burkholder, the Chiefs’ Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance, and assistant athletic trainer Julie Frymyer, along with the entire staff. Sneed himself credited them with keeping him healthy through the preseason, especially with that knee injury. We even saw him out there as the Nickel defender in the third and final exhibition game, rolling with the Chiefs’ starting D, which just so happened to be against our very own Seahawks at Arrowhead.
With Sneed embracing this new-old role, and with young guns on the outside, the Chiefs defense could be cooking with gas right out of the gate in Week 1. Get ready to see Sneed unleash that playmaking fire he’s been holding onto. It’s going to be fun to watch him move around and disrupt plays from the slot.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Arrowhead Pride.
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