Chiefs News 5/6: Charges dropped against former Chief L’Jarius Sneed

**Way-too-early ranking:** 12

**Most improved position:** Running back

No other position could’ve been better enhanced than at running back, as the Chiefs replaced Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt with a trio of Kenneth Walker III, Emari Demercado and Emmett Johnson. Last season, Pacheco and Hunt combined for only one rushing attempt that went farther than 20 yards. With the Seahawks last season, Walker finished second among all running backs in percentage of carries that gained 10 yards or more. Demercado and Johnson should be quality backups who offer versatility and receiving skills out of the backfield. *— Nate Taylor* **Chiefs Roster Cut Immediately Claimed Off Waivers by Giants | Heavy Sports** Among those roster cuts was veteran defensive tackle Zacch Pickens, and the Chiefs departure was immediately snatched up off waivers by the New York Giants. The NFC East team announced the news on May 5, and it was also on the daily NFL transaction log.

Per A-to-Z Sports Kansas City reporter Charles Goldman, fellow roster cuts “QB Jake Haener and DE Ethan Hurkett cleared waivers after being let go by the Chiefs.”

However, with the Giants claiming Pickens, it officially marks “his third stop since being selected in Round 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears.”

Kansas City took a flyer on Pickens just before the start of the 2025 season. The former third-round talent failed to make the Bears’ 53-man roster that August, and the Chiefs picked him up off waivers, similar to the Giants now. **Chiefs’ Emmett Johnson becomes next draft pick to sign rookie contract, giving Kansas City running back room something they don’t have | A to Z Sports** On Monday, May 4, the Chiefs signed fifth-round RB Emmett Johnson to his four-year rookie contract. He joins fellow fifth-round pick WR Cyrus Allen and seventh-round pick QB Garrett Nussmeier as the only draft picks to have signed their rookie deals with Kansas City.

These three deals are the easiest to execute because there isn’t much room to negotiate when it comes to guaranteed salary. They’re also the cheapest and don’t require the Chiefs to make any contract-related moves to clear cap space. It’s ultimately only a matter of time before the remaining draft picks’ contracts are completed for Kansas City.

Johnson’s contract provides the Chiefs with significant financial flexibility moving forward. In 2026, the Chiefs are only spending $8.8 million (seventh-fewest) on the running back position. That number will balloon in 2027 ($19.8 million) as Kansas City gets deeper into its multi-year deal with RB Kenneth Walker. Johnson’s cap number won’t exceed $1.4M at any point during his rookie deal, unless his base salary is raised through the NFL’s Proven Performance Escalator (basically, if Johnson outplays his draft slot before the final year of his rookie deal). As things currently stand, Johnson helps keep the Chiefs’ running back room inexpensive, while having the ceiling of a high-volume contributor. **Arrowhead transformation begins as FIFA to take over venue ahead of World Cup 2026 | KCTV5** The Kansas City Chiefs confirm that FIFA will officially take control of the stadium ahead of the World Cup “in the next few weeks.”

FIFA crews will have a lot of work to do to prepare for the tournament that will be played in dozens of stadiums across North America, including here in Kansas City.

The first World Cup 2026 match is scheduled for Thursday, June 11 at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City between Mexico and South Africa.

The first match held in Kansas City is scheduled to take place June 16 between Argentina and Algeria. **A.J. Brown trade, Aaron Rodgers’ future among biggest post-draft questions facing every NFL team | CBS Sports** **Kansas City Chiefs**

**Question**: Will Patrick Mahomes be ready for Week 1?

All eyes are on Patrick Mahomes as he recovers from a torn ACL he suffered in December. Head coach Andy Reid recently said that Mahomes is on track to take part in Kansas City’s OTAs, albeit possibly on a limited basis. The central question with Mahomes is whether he’ll be ready to suit up for the Chiefs in Week 1 or need extra time to rehab before taking the field again. That’ll be a fascinating balancing act for Kansas City to go through this offseason. On the one hand, they’ll want Mahomes to make positive strides in hopes of playing out of the gate, but they’ll also need to give Justin Fields, whom they acquired this offseason, work to prepare him in case he needs to start the season under center.

**Around the NFL**

**Former Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs is found not guilty of assaulting his private chef | Associated Press**

Former New England Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs was found not guilty Tuesday of assaulting his personal chef in a case marked by conflicting accounts of what happened inside his home after disputes over money and their relationship.

His trial lasted two days and the jury deliberated for less than two hours.

The charges stemmed from a Dec. 2 incident at his house in Dedham, where Jamila Adams, a former live-in personal chef known as Mila, testified that Diggs slapped and choked her during an argument. He had pleaded not guilty to a felony strangulation charge and a misdemeanor assault and battery charge.

Diggs’ attorneys said the alleged assault never happened and challenged Adams’ credibility, arguing the dispute was about money or relationship tensions — including a disagreement over a planned trip to Miami — rather than a violent attack. **Source: Giants agree to two-year deal with DT DJ Reader | ESPN** The New York Giants have agreed to a two-year, $12.5 million contract sign veteran defensive tackle DJ Reader, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Tuesday.

Reader can make up to $15.5 million through incentives, the source told Fowler.

The move comes more than two weeks after the Giants traded standout defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence II to the Cincinnati Bengals for the 10th overall pick in the NFL draft. New York also drafted Bobby Jamison-Travis in the sixth round last month.

The Giants freed up more than $12.5 million in salary cap space by trading Lawrence.

Last week, the Giants also signed veteran defensive tackles Shelby Harris and Leki Fotu to one-year contracts. The Giants also claimed defensive tackle Zacch Pickens off waivers from the Kansas City Chiefs on Tuesday. **Seahawks signing Dante Fowler as first major outside free agent add this offseason | CBS Sports** The reigning Super Bowl-champion Seahawks have made their first significant dip into the outside free agent pool this offseason, agreeing to a one-year deal worth up to $5 million with Dante Fowler, per NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero.

Fowler, who will turn 32 a month before the season begins, had three sacks for the Cowboys last season while playing on just under one-third of Dallas’ defensive snaps. One year earlier with the Commanders, he had one of the most productive years of his career, notching 10.5 sacks. He has 58.5 career sacks across 10 NFL seasons, spent with the Jaguars, Rams, Falcons, Cowboys (two stints) and Commanders.

The Seahawks have had a quiet offseason since their Super Bowl LX triumph over the Patriots. They brought back wide receiver/returner Rashid Shaheed on a three-year, $51 million deal and cornerback Josh Jobe on a three year, $24 million deal but had not brought in any outside free agents on deals worth more than $2 million until Fowler on Tuesday.

**In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride**

**Blue Springs’ Xavier Loyd stands out in tryout, earns deal with Chiefs**

He totaled just three catches for 37 yards over his time at the local universities, and entered the 2026 NFL Draft with Dane Brugler of *The Athletic* ranking him as the 211th best wide receiver in his draft guide ‘The Beast.” Brugler also uncharacteristically misspelled his name as “Xaiver.”

In between three unproductive college seasons, however, lies the potential the Chiefs likely saw when the front office invited Loyd to try out. He spent 2024 with a Championship Subdivision-level football program at Illinois State. In his only season with the Redbirds, Loyd totaled 66 catches for 912 yards and six touchdowns.

While Loyd undoubtedly would have liked to have made a bigger impact at the highest level of college football, he made the most of his chance with the Chiefs. Precious little has been reported of the team’s rookie camp due to the confidentiality rules Chiefs’ beat reporters operate under. One consistent media take, however, has been that Loyd had a great camp.

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