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The Los Angeles Rams not only acquired Trent McDuffie in a trade, they simply made him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL.
When the Rams reached an agreement with the Kansas City Chiefs last week, they addressed a key need this offseason. But McDuffie was only scheduled for one more year with his fifth-year option exercised by Kansas City, although reports said both sides would likely agree to an extension.
The Rams and McDuffie agreed to a four-year, $124 million extension, including $100 million in guaranteed money, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
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Trent McDuffie of the Kansas City Chiefs leaves the field at halftime during an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High on November 16, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
In turn, McDuffie is now the highest paid at his position in the league with an average annual value of $31 million in new money. He will be paid $13.6 million in 2026 for his fifth-year option.
The Rams sent their 29th pick in this year’s NFL Draft to acquire McDuffie, as well as 2026 fifth- and sixth-round picks and a 2027 third-round pick.
McDuffie, a first-team All-Pro in 2023, has Super Bowl pedigree, playing a starting role in the secondary for two rings as part of the Chiefs’ dominance in recent seasons. He set a career-high in tackles last season (63), totaling seven passes defended, one sack and one forced fumble.
Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) takes the field before a game against the Baltimore Ravens at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on September 28, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Jay Biggerstaff/Image Images)
To start his career, McDuffie has 34 passes defended, eight forced fumbles, 5.5 sacks and 246 combined tackles. He’s one of the best at his position, which is why Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes tweeted “damn” after news broke that McDuffie was moving west.
McDuffie, however, is returning home, as he was born in Westminster, California, which is part of Orange County. He even discussed the possibility of playing somewhere other than Kansas City, hoping, in any case, to return to California.
“If I could play for another team, I’d probably want to play near my family, so it would probably be the LA Rams so my family could come watch every game,” McDuffie said during a back-to-school event in August 2025, according to ESPN.
Trent McDuffie of the Kansas City Chiefs warms up before the game against the Washington Commanders at Arrowhead Stadium on October 27, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)
McDuffie’s deal comes ahead of what is expected to be a hectic free agent period, which begins Monday, when the legal tampering window opens at noon ET. During that time, players and teams can agree to the terms of an extension, which will be clarified when the new league year begins on March 11 at 4 p.m. ET.
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