Tennessee Titans cornerback L'Jarius Sneed entered a make-or-break season in 2025. The 2024 campaign was an injury-riddled disaster after the Titans acquired him from the Kansas City Chiefs and signed him to a $76.4 million contract. Sneed also endured a peculiar offseason, having been sidelined for the majority of training camp after undergoing a clean-up procedure on his knee.
And then Week 1 arrived. Sneed played just 19 defensive snaps against the Denver Broncos in the regular-season opener, all of which occurred during the first half. Brian Callahan and his coaching staff explained that Sneed was being protected from reaggravating an injury after essentially not playing any football in nearly a full calendar year.
The Titans claimed Sneed was in-line for an increased workload in Week 2, but not even the most optimistic fan envisioned how much. Sneed ended up playing a sizable 54 of 59 defensive snaps. The veteran cornerback just flipped a narrative after performing admirably in his full-length 2025 debut.
Titans CB L'Jarius Sneed was better in Week 2 than coverage stats indicate
Pro Football Focus wasn't kind to Sneed. They credited him with allowing four receptions on eight targets for 101 yards and a touchdown. His coverage grade was an overall 30.1, but it's missing a ton of context.
The Titans sacked Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford once. They're one of the worst pass-rushing defenses in the NFL, with a second-worst two sacks through two games. Sneed was being asked to cover future Hall of Fame receiver Davante Adams for extended periods of time.
Sneed's biggest error was letting Adams get behind him for a 16-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Titans were in single-man coverage and Sneed had no safety help over the top. Adams beat him on that rep.
Sneed also had tight coverage on three incompletions thrown in Adams' direction, two of which occurred in the end zone in quick succession. The Rams had to settle for a field goal. Given the context and challenges, Sneed appeared capable of regaining the form that once made him a top cornerback in the NFL.