Former Chiefs CB 'bitter' following trade to Titans

A downside to having one of the best rosters in the NFL is simply not being able to retain all your best players. The Chiefs experienced just that this offseason.

Kansas City had two defensive stars, defensive tackle Chris Jones and cornerback L'Jarius Sneed, who were looking to get paid this offseason and only enough salary cap space to pay one.

The Chiefs ultimately chose to give Jones a five-year, $158.75 million deal and trade Sneed to the Titans for a 2025 third-round pick.

Tennessee ended up giving Sneed the payday he was looking for with a four-year, $76.4 million contract, but that doesn't mean he's happy with how things played out.

"Yeah, man, I didn't talk to them. I was upset, man," Sneed said on "The Pivot Podcast." "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."

Sneed, a fourth-round pick in 2020, has a right to be upset. Kansas City helped him grow into one of the best corners in the league, amassing 303 tackles, 6.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, 10 interceptions and 40 passes defensed the past four years.

The 27-year-old even helped the Chiefs win two Super Bowls (LVII and LVIII) along the way, but then he was tossed to the Titans, who went 6-11 and finished in last place in the AFC South a year ago.

It's not how Sneed likely imagined things would play out in Kansas City, but he's focused on the second chapter of his NFL career in Tennessee.

"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."