Steelers Mentioned As Possible Free Agent Suitor For Chiefs Dynamic CB L'Jarius Sneed

Cornerback has been a need for the Pittsburgh Steelers for awhile now. The unit has really struggled over the past few years, and that has remained the case in 2023. It's not for the lack of trying either, as the front office invested heavily in the position this past offseason. Joey Porter Jr. and Cory Trice Jr. were selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, while veteran Patrick Peterson was signed in free agency.

Porter has become a full-time starter halfway through the season, and he may be a true lockdown corner for the Steelers. Unfortunately, Trice suffered a season-ending injury before his rookie year even began. While he was impressive this summer, it's hard to trust him being in the long-term plans coming off such a significant injury. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler believes Kansas City Chiefs cornerback 0 could be a target for Pittsburgh this offseason in his free agency primer article on ESPN+.

"Enough contending teams were looking for a corner at the trade deadline -- including Buffalo [Bills], San Francisco [49ers], Cincinnati [Bengals], and Pittsburgh -- that the market will be viable for him."

Amidst the Chiefs defense evolving into one of the better units in football, Sneed has ascended into a top cornerback. He's been the best corner on a team that allows just the fifth-fewest passing yards (176.0) per game through the first two months of the 2023 season. Despite the fact that the Chiefs are leading in nearly ever game, the pass defense has remained elite. It's quite the evolution for a team that has Patrick Mahomes at quarterback, and it's what makes them perhaps even scarier this postseason.

Sneed isn't the only potential target for the Steelers this offseason, as Jaylon Johnson of the Chicago Bears makes sense as well. If you remember, the Steelers showed some serious interest in him ahead of the 2023 trade deadline. Similar to Sneed, he's enjoying a career-best season just ahead of his first appearance in free agency. ESPN's Matt Miller labeled cornerback as the Steelers' biggest need this offseason, as he echoed Fowler with a mention of Sneed. Additionally, he threw out some other top college prospects as well that Pittsburgh could pursue.

"A playmaker in the secondary is needed. If Kansas City's L'Jarius Sneed hits free agency, he could be a really good answer, as would Alabama's Kool-Aid McKinstry or Terrion Arnold in the middle of the draft's first round."

Porter seems to be a big part of the team's future plans, but now, they need to find a legitimate No. 2 this offseason. Trice could be that guy, but again, there's a ton of risk in trusting a guy that has never played an NFL snap. Peterson just hasn't panned out for the Steelers in 2023, and he's likely nearing retirement anyways. He does have another year left on his contract after this season, but we'll see if both sides stick together in 2024.

Do The Steelers Need Another Cornerback This Offseason?

Levi Wallace may be on his way out of town this offseason too, as he has struggled immensely this season. Spotrac gives Sneed a market value of $6.8 million, as they put him in the range of a four-year, $27.4 million deal. For reference, that annual number is lower than Peterson's. Now the Chiefs will have a decent amount of cap space this offseason, so there's certainly a chance that they re-sign him to a big deal. 

In years past, their model has been to sign their offensive playmakers to big deals, while using their draft picks on defenders and capitalizing on their cheap deals. We'll see if that changes this offseason, but Sneed (or Johnson) would make plenty of sense for the Steelers. It would confidently give them a solid duo at corner heading into 2024.

In terms of needs this upcoming offseason, where do you rank cornerback? Do you think the team should go after Sneed or Johnson? Will the team get rid of Wallace and/or Peterson? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, yinz!

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