The Kansas City Chiefs are certainly hoping it doesn’t come to this, but the two-time defending Super Bowl champions face the possibility of losing a key member of their defense when free agency opens next month.

Cornerback L’Jarius Sneed has made it clear — he wants to get paid following the expiration of his rookie contract. Fresh off helping the Chiefs win Super Bowl LVIII, Sneed could secure an extension from the Chiefs — or a new contract from another team — that makes him one of three highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL. If Kansas City won’t dole out the dough, somebody else will — and Sneed this weekend dropped what some are interpreting as a huge hint about his playing future.

In an Instagram post, Sneed published two gameday photos without a caption — just an emoji of a flying eagle. This has led to increased speculation that Sneed will eventually sign with the Philadelphia Eagles, the team he helped the Chiefs defeat in Super Bowl LVII following the 2022 season.

After a rookie season in and out of the Chiefs’ defensive lineup, Sneed became a regular starter in 2021 and has not looked back. He enters free agency as a two-time Super Bowl champion, with 10 career interceptions in 57 regular season games. His forced fumble on Baltimore receiver Zay Flowers in the AFC Championship Game swung the momentum Kansas City’s way, and his nose for the ball helped the Chiefs upset the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium to advance to Super Bowl LVIII.

Sneed: A star who would help the Eagles

The Eagles are desperate to improve their defense and have more than $30 million in available cap space entering free agency — roughly in the middle of the pack in the NFL. Philadelphia can create more with contract extensions — such as offering one to star pass rusher Haason Reddick — but it could be a tall task to entice Sneed, who could command an annual salary in excess of $20 million.

If Sneed’s next contract puts him in the ballpark with players like Jaire Alexander, Jalen Ramsey, and Denzel Ward, it will be a deserved free agency outcome for the former fourth-round pick. Sneed has become a lockdown cornerback, allowing only a 51 percent completion rate on 100 targets during the regular season and surrendering a grand total of zero touchdowns against.