Chiefs have until March 5 to franchise tag Chris Jones or L'Jarius Sneed

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Today marks the first day NFL teams can use the one franchise tag allotted to them per offseason.

A franchise tag allows a team to keep a player on the roster at the end of his contract for one additional year at a predetermined price based on their position.

The Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach has a tough decision to make as he mulls the most likely franchise tag options. Defensive tackle Chris Jones and defensive back L'Jarius Sneed were both instrumental in the back-to-back Super Bowl championships.

Despite the typical franchise tag for a defensive lineman in 2024 being about $20 million, Jones would cost the Chiefs about $32 million to keep him around for at least one more season. His price is so high because he earned over that in 2023 after incentives and a tag in 2024 would be 120% of that salary.

Sneed's tag comes in at a more modest $18.8 million, however, the 27-year-old cornerback is also a prime option for a long-term deal from the Chiefs. They could still tag him and come to a long-term deal later, but if Veach and company wait until March 13 (start of 2024 League Year), the nearly $19 million will affect the 2024 salary cap regardless of what they decide.

The franchise tag window ends on March 5.