The Rams are doubling down on cornerbacks from the Chiefs as they reshape their defense for the 2026 season.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Jaylen Watson has agreed to terms with the Rams. It is a three-year deal in Los Angeles for Watson.
NFL Media reports that the deal is worth $51 million with $34 million in guaranteed money.
The Rams agreed to trade for Trent McDuffie last week, so the two corners will remain teammates in new uniforms.
Watson was the No. 8 player on PFT’s list of this year’s top free agents. The 2022 seventh-round pick played 53 regular season games and started 29 times over his four seasons in Kansas City. He had 178 tackles, four sacks, three interceptions, and 24 passes defensed while picking up a pair of Super Bowl rings with the Chiefs.
From Larry Brown to Desmond Howard to Dexter Jackson to Kenneth Walker III.
There are now four Super Bowl MVPs who left weeks later in free agency.
Walker, per multiple reports, has agreed to terms with the Chiefs.
The initial wave of reports did not include financial information. Which is unusual. And which will create the impression that the agents who leaked the information didn’t feel compelled to brag about the value of the deal.
The Seahawks opted not to apply the franchise or transition tag to Walker, at $14.293 million. The top of the market exceeds $20 million per year.
This feels like one of those deals that will require a full breakdown of all relevant terms.
Either way, Walker will be the next starting running back in Kansas City. And the next question will be whether they use him as an every-down workhorse, and whether they’ll be making a renewed commitment to the run — especially as quarterback Patrick Mahomes recovers from a torn ACL and may be restricting his lateral, hair-on-fire scrambling to look for open receivers.
Travis Kelce will not be wearing a different uniform in 2026.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Kelce is expected to return to the Chiefs for a 14th season.
Kelce, 36, was set to become a free agent. But his representation has conveyed to teams that could have pursued him that he’s going back to Kansas City.
The Chiefs’ all-time leader in receptions (1,080), receiving yards (13,002), and touchdowns (82), Kelce started all 17 games in 2025. He finished the year with 76 receptions for 851 yards with five touchdowns.
Kelce was also a Pro Bowler for the 11th consecutive season.
While terms of Kelce’s deal have not yet been disclosed, the tight end will be on the field for Kansas City in 2026 after his high-profile wedding to pop star Taylor Swift this summer.
As noted this afternoon, tight end Travis Kelce becomes a free agent tomorrow. Against that basic background are conflicting reports as to whether he’ll possibly play for a team other than the Chiefs.
Earlier tonight, The Athletic reported that Kelce is expected to return for a 14th NFL season, but that it’s not a “sure thing” he’ll re-sign with the Chiefs. Thereafter, Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press pointed out his Scouting Combine-week report that, if Kelce plays, he’ll play only for the Chiefs, and won’t test the market.
Per The Athletic, Kelce’s agents are expected to talk to multiple teams once the negotiating period opens.
The truth could be as simple as this — the Chiefs’ current offer falls below Kelce’s expectations. If it doesn’t improve, Kelce could (in theory) see what else is out there. For now, the notion that his agents will listen to other teams could be nothing more than an effort to shake more cash from the Kansas City tree.
Kelce’s availability creates a rare situation in which a team’s business interests could override its football interests. The coaches and the scouting staff may put one value on Kelce’s perceived role and contributions; the sales and marketing folks may feel very differently about what it’s worth to have Kelce in the fold.
Again, he’s a superstar. Taylor Swift will attend one or more home games, presumably. The Swifties will buy his new jersey in droves. It’s a moneymaker for a business that is, no matter what they say publicly, is aimed at making as much money as possible.
It may take a big offer from a new team to get the most out of the Chiefs, with Kelce potentially taking much less than he could get elsewhere to stay with the only NFL franchise he’s ever known. In the end, however, he wouldn’t be the first player a team lowballs based on his perceived unwillingness to leave, prompting him to look around and, quite possibly, to take a much better offer from someone else.
After agreeing to trade for Trent McDuffie, the Rams have now reached an agreement on a contract extension with the cornerback.
McDuffie has agreed to a four-year, $124 million extension that includes $100 million guaranteed, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The initial reported numbers indicate the new deal will make McDuffie the highest-paid cornerback in the league with an average annual value of $31 million in new money.
McDuffie, 25, spent his first four seasons with the Chiefs, winning a pair of Super Bowls with the club. He was an AP first-team All-Pro honoree in 2023.
McDuffie has recorded 34 passes defensed, eight forced fumbles, 5.5 sacks, and three interceptions in his career.
The trade to send him from the Chiefs to the Rams will become official this week with the start of the new league year.
