Getty Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay Jr. on December 5, 2021.
When discussing long-term contract extensions, the big fish on the Kansas City market are pillars like defensive lineman Chris Jones and left tackle Orlando Brown Jr.
They aren’t the only key pieces that the Chiefs might need to secure long-term, however. On September 2, Arrowhead Pride analyst Jared Sapp highlighted two under-the-radar contributors that could warrant an early pay raise at the end of the 2022 season.
Those players, as he sees it, are linebacker Willie Gay Jr. and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed.
Gay & Sneed Could Play Their Way Into New Deals
“Seemingly in the blink of an eye, the 2020 draft class enters its third season — and its players can negotiate extensions at its conclusion,” explained Sapp. “While running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire likely is not a candidate, linebacker Willie Gay Jr. and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed may be.”
When looking at that crop of rookies, Gay and Sneed do stand out as the top performers. Defensive end Michael Danna has also been a pleasant surprise in round five and “CEH” is still technically the starting running back but OT Lucas Niang has been unavailable more often than not and CB Thakarius “BoPete” Keyes is no longer with the franchise.
Sapp gave his rationale: “Sneed became a starter from his first regular season game, and he has arguably been the best player in the Chiefs secondary for two seasons. Gay’s career started slowly — but he delivered strong play over the second half of last season and seems in line for a monster year. Should they follow through on their promise, the Chiefs may have to consider beginning extension talks when the season ends in order to control future costs.”
It’s true, a solid campaign from either of the two defensive starters might add some fuel to this fire. Gay recently told reporters that he plans to lead the NFL in interceptions this season. A lofty goal, but one that would certainly drum up some contract chatter.
Sneed is another integral asset in 2022, considering how young the Chiefs secondary is. At cornerback, Rashad Fenton and Chris Lammons are the only other “veterans” of the league, and none of the three are older than age 26.
It appears that both Gay and Sneed are set up to be entrusted with big-time roles this year — how they handle them could make or break any hopes of a new deal.
Draft Picks Nipping at Their Heels
Sapp did add in a slight disclaimer for Gay and Sneed. He concluded:
It will be interesting to monitor the front office’s overtures as these players approach free agency. The team has used day-two draft selections on fellow linebackers Nick Bolton and Leo Chenal since drafting Gay — and three rookie cornerbacks cracking the 2022 roster could make extending Sneed less of a priority.
Although Gay and Sneed have become important starters, neither has been the perfect player. Pro Football Focus graded the linebacker at 55.7 in 2021 and Sneed was only mildly better at 64.1.
Both need to improve in two areas: coverage and tackling.
Sapp’s right, the Chiefs just restocked the system with a really strong-looking draft class in 2022. If prospects like Chenal, Trent McDuffie, Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson continue to emerge, Gay and Sneed lose any leverage they might have initially had.
That makes this an intriguing situation to keep in the back of your head. There are a ton of moving parts and that means that the end result can shift quickly.
General manager Brett Veach has always shown a willingness to part with talent at the right time — think Tyreek Hill. As they approach the ends of their rookie contracts, Gay and Sneed will have to earn their keep just like everybody else.