Trent

McDuffie

ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report the deal, which includes $100 million in guaranteed money. The two-time All-Pro becomes the highest-paid corner in NFL history and will now be under contract through the 2030 season. The Rams traded a bevy picks to the Chiefs last week, including a 2026 first-rounder, to acquire McDuffie, who totaled 63 tackles, one interception, and seven pass breakups last season before a knee injury prematurely ended his season. The Rams hope McDuffie, who will turn 26 shortly after the start of next season, will prove to be the missing piece they need to make a deep postseason run in the limited time they have left with Matthew Stafford under center.

Garafolo reports the team hopes to sign McDuffie to a deal “in the near future,” adding that he’ll likely become the highest-paid corner in the league when all is said and done. McDuffie, 25, was acquired by the Rams last week in exchange for a haul of picks that included the Rams 2026 first-round pick. The fourth-year corner totaled 63 tackles, one interception, and seven pass breakups in 13 games last season and was named a First-team All-Pro in 2023 and a Second-team All-Pro in 2024.

McDuffie, who has three interceptions over 56 NFL games, was a first-round pick of Kansas City in 2022 and was set to play on his fifth-year rookie option before being dealt to the Rams, who last season allowed the sixth lowest drop back EPA in the NFL. McDuffie, 25, finished the season on IR with a knee injury. He’ll likely sign a long term deal with the Rams. Shipping McDuffie to LA could suggest the Chiefs are finally ready to build via the draft, including, perhaps, improving the receiving room for Patrick Mahomes as he returns from a 2025 knee injury.

McDuffie is entering the fifth-year option season on his rookie contract and the Chiefs could chop down his cap number for 2026 with an extension. Forced to play outside more over the past few years, McDuffie finally managed to be left off an All-Pro team in 2025. He managed a 75.6 PFF grade — as opposed to 82.0 and 84.8 the two seasons before that — in 688 snaps with the Chiefs while dealing with a knee injury.

Fellow cornerback Jaylen Watson is joining him on injured reserve. With nothing left to play for, the Chiefs are packing it in for the year. McDuffie leads the team in pass breakups at six. Watson is one behind him. Down their top two corners, Kansas City will be an easy target for Bo Nix this week. Fantasy managers can feel free to fire Nix up as a QB1 one last time.

McDuffie is listed as DNP for the second straight day. He has been dealing with the knee issue since Week 14 and may not play the rest of this season with the Chiefs eliminated from playoff contention. Fellow CB Jaylen Watson (groin) was also DNP for the second straight day. Both are on the wrong side of questionable with a Christmas game against the Broncos on the horizon.

McDuffie, who missed the team’s Week 16 loss to the Titans, continues to deal with a knee injury sustained in Week 14, which is a massive blow to a defense that operates primarily from nickel. It remains to be seen if McDuffie will make it back this season or if the team will simply place him on season-ending injured reserve.

Neither will LB Leo Chenal (shoulder), who did not practice all week. McDuffie gave us a courtesy limited on Thursday, but it doesn’t look like the Chiefs are planning on making him play hurt while they’re eliminated. Chiefs non-McDuffie corners versus Titans wideouts is a matchup that screams “meaningless Week 16 game.”

Reporters expected a DNP, but McDuffie got in a limited session officially. We still consider him at least a bit unlikely to miss Week 16’s game against the Titans, but McDuffie is at least making a play to be active.

McDuffie appears unlikely to play at this point. With the Chiefs having been eliminated from playoff contention, there is not need to rush him back. The Chiefs’ defense can still pose problems for Titans rookie QB Cam Ward, even with its No. 1 cornerback sidelined.