4 Chiefs players who won't be back if they make a run at Mike Evans

1. L'Jarius Sneed, CB

The aforementioned increase in the 2024 salary cap could, in some world, be tremendous news for the Chiefs. Though it won't be easy to maneuver in the necessary ways to make this work for Brett Veach, it now becomes entirely realistic that Kansas City could bring back their two biggest impending free agents this offseason, defensive tackle Chris Jones and cornerback L'Jarius Sneed.

If Mike Evans enters the equation and the Chiefs pay him fair market value, however, than the incoming wide receiver would ultimately push one of Jones or Sneed out the door. And for as good as Sneed has been as a versatile and sometimes dominant piece in Steve Spagnuolo's defense, he's the odd man out in this equation.

With the emergence of Trent McDuffie at cornerback, the Chiefs ostensibly have a replacement for Sneed already in the building. Yes, they would need to use the draft and the budget portions of free agency to fill out the depth in the secondary, but they could conceivably withstand the loss of their standout corner.

That, however, is not the case when it comes to Jones. There arguably isn't an interior defensive lineman in the league outside of maybe Aaron Donald who could replace Jones' impact on the front in Kansas City, but there definitely isn't anyone on the roster that fits that bill. Thus, he's the one would be brought back along with bringing in Evans.

Targeting Evans, of course, puts the potential return of Jones and Sneed alike into doubt. It's possible the Chiefs would risk losing both home-grown stars. But if it comes down to a choice between the two, then it'll be Sneed looking for a new place of employment.