Chiefs announce three major headlines on Wednesday
By Calvin Silvers
It may be the off-season for the NFL, but the Kansas City Chiefs are staying active, especially on Wednesday as many different types of news came from the team throughout the day.
Starting with the offense, the Chiefs are releasing wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling. MVS was headed for the final season of his three-year deal with Kansas City and his release will provide $12 million in cap savings for the organization.
He had 63 receptions, 1,002 yards and three touchdowns in two seasons for the Chiefs, but helped them win back-to-back Super Bowls. Most notably, he had a huge 116-yard, one-touchdown AFC Championship game in the 2022 season and hauled in a 16-yard touchdown in Super Bowl LVIII for the Chiefs’ only touchdown in regulation.
Switching to the defense, the chiefs have informed cornerback L’Jarius Sneed that they are prepared to use the franchise tag on him before the March 5 deadline. However, that doesn’t guarantee Sneed will return to Kansas City on a one-year deal.
The Chiefs are open to a trade if the team and Sneed fail to reach a long-term extension. The star cornerback is “agreeable” to that. Once again, it doesn’t guarantee Sneed will be traded, either, but by having this information out to the public, allows the Chiefs to start building a potential trade market, and several teams should have interest.
Sneed is likely worth a first-round draft pick, and that may be where Kansas City will begin in negotiation talks. The 27-year-old allowed an opposing passer rating of only 56.2 in coverage, and he didn’t allow a single touchdown during the regular season despite being targeted 100 times.
Some more news from Kansas City, but not necessarily team related. As known for more than 50 years, Arrowhead Stadium has been noted as a masterpiece among NFL fans, serving as the center of Chiefs Kingdom.
This is a new project that will cost $800 million, with the Hunt family contributing $300 million of the cost. Some new features would include a turf-covered activation zone with tailgate areas and covered entertainment space built over where Kauffman was.
There also will be a new upper concourse connection bridge creating 360 access and more concessions for the upper deck. There will be an upper concourse canopy installed providing weather protection, including infrared heaters and overhead fans for the upper deck.
There will be new video boards but the oval shape will remain. New end zone clubs and suites, kind of like the ground-floor party area in Las Vegas, are part of the plan. Traditional concession stands will be converted to modern grab-n-go markets throughout general concourses, resulting in an anticipated increase in speed of service by 30-40 percent.
On the outside, three new pedestrian bridges will eliminate interruptions to traffic flow. A new parking deck on the south side of the stadium and expanded parking on the north side of the stadium at the current site of Kauffman, plus more, will be added.
