Eight years after the Chiefs sent Marcus Peters to the Rams, the two teams engaged in discussions about another blockbuster cornerback trade. This time, Trent McDuffie is the Los Angeles target. A deal has come together swiftly.
The Rams are sending the Chiefs No. 29 overall, along with 2026 fifth- and sixth-rounders, for McDuffie, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports. This deal will also send Kansas City Los Angeles’ 2027 third-round pick, per Russini.
The teams were “deep in talks” on this trade a few minutes ago, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported. Mentioned previously as way for the Chiefs to clear cap space, trading McDuffie would also reunite him with ex-Washington HC Jimmy Lake, who is on the Rams’ staff as DBs coach and pass-game coordinator. This reminds of the Chiefs’ 2025 Joe Thuney trade, which broke minutes after the team was mentioned as discussing him with the Bears.
In PFR’s Chiefs Offseason Outlook, I broached the subject of the AFC powerhouse pivoting from McDuffie extension talks and using the contract as a way to fetch rookie-deal assets. The Chiefs have done this repeatedly at corner. They have now traded Peters, McDuffie and L’Jarius Sneed under Andy Reid. The team has also let starters Steven Nelson, Kendall Fuller and Charvarius Ward walk in free agency.
It will be interesting to see if Kansas City attempts to re-sign Jaylen Watson — whose second contract will be much cheaper than McDuffie’s — as a result of this swap. The Chiefs and McDuffie resumed extension talks recently, but it seems the cornerback’s price point was out of the team’s comfort zone. Landing a picks package after failed extension talks is familiar territory.
Much like in 2022, when the Chiefs bailed on Tyreek Hill extension talks after the price escalated, Kansas City has deemed an extension too pricey and will move on for a picks package headlined by a first-rounder. McDuffie initially came to K.C. via that Hill asset trove, with the Chiefs trading up to draft him in 2022. Playing both outside and in the slot, McDuffie became a linchpin for Steve Spagnuolo‘s defenses. He earned All-Pro recognition in 2023 and ’24 and has worked as the team’s secondary anchor, complementing Chris Jones and Nick Bolton as Chiefs defensive pillars.
The Chiefs entered Wednesday more than $6MM over the cap; this move — which cannot be official until March 11, when the 2026 league year begins — will slide the AFC West team under the salary ceiling. Kansas City had already cut Mike Danna and is planning to release Jawaan Taylor. Kristian Fulton, who did not play well after the Chiefs gave him a $10MM-per-year deal, can also deliver some notable cap savings.
McDuffie and the Chiefs were negotiating an extension before last season, but the sides could not hammer out an agreement. A fall report indicated McDuffie was eyeing a potential top-market contract. Considering how stingy the Chiefs have been at cornerback, that report made a trade somewhat logical to predict. McDuffie, 25, is now headed to L.A. with one season left — a fifth-year option campaign ($13.63MM) — on his rookie contract.
A quirk in the CBA’s fifth-year option formula allowed the Chiefs to save money on McDuffie’s option. Although McDuffie is a former first- and second-team All-Pro, he has never been named an original-ballot Pro Bowler. The latter honor is what triggers option bumps, and McDuffie ended up on the third rung of the option ladder. But the option price is now the Rams’ issue. Given what is being traded here, it would surprise if L.A. did not have an extension planned.
The Rams did not pay Peters in 2018, eventually trading him to the Ravens in 2019, but this trade reminds of Les Snead‘s former “eff them picks” mantra. Los Angeles traded a first-rounder for Brandin Cooks in 2018 and extended the receiver soon after. They traded two firsts for Jalen Ramsey in 2019 and extended the All-Pro corner in 2020. The Rams traded two firsts for Matthew Stafford in 2021 and paid him a year later. They dealt second- and third-rounders for Von Miller months into the Stafford tenure, and the Stafford-Ramsey-Miller trades helped Snead and Sean McVay secure a championship.
Cornerback play cost the Rams dearly in 2025. Although the Rams went punch-for-punch with the eventual champion Seahawks in the NFC title game, Sam Darnold finished with 346 yards and three touchdown passes in a shootout win. The Rams were linked to reacquiring Ramsey last year but stood down. L.A. will now use its own first-round pick — a year after acquiring No. 13 from Atlanta, as the Falcons traded up for edge rusher James Pearce Jr. — to transform that position group.
They ended up using rookie-deal corners and aging cog Darious Williams, with a midseason trade for Roger McCreary not impacting the defense much. McCreary and Cobie Durant are free agents, and Williams is a cut candidate. Emmanuel Forbes, who almost definitely will not see his fifth-year option exercised, has one season left on his contract.
Our Rams Offseason Outlook mentioned the obvious mission of upgrading at corner, and The Athletic’s Nate Adkins discussed McDuffie as an option earlier today. Snead brought up the prospect of adding an All-Pro talent to address this situation, and the Rams have their answer. McDuffie is now the centerpiece of the L.A. secondary, which has lacked such a player since the team traded Ramsey to the Dolphins in 2023.
The Rams ranked 10th in scoring defense last season but were 19th against the pass. McDuffie did not earn Pro Bowl or All-Pro acclaim in 2025, but he has been one of the NFL’s best corners for years. While only including three career interceptions, McDuffie’s resume will allow him to command a near-top-market deal. This four-pick package will help his cause for a contract at or near the $30MM-per-year level Derek Stingley Jr. and Sauce Gardner reached last year.
A Washington alum, McDuffie started for two Super Bowl-winning teams — serving as both squads’ top CB — and was out there for the Chiefs-Eagles rematch. Spagnuolo used McDuffie more in the slot in 2023 but shifted the 5-foot-11 defender to more of a boundary role over the past two seasons. Pro Football Focus ranked McDuffie as a top-five corner in 2023 and ’24 and has never ranked him outside the top 20. The Rams are paying up for the CB’s final four seasons in his 20s, as the Chiefs cash out yet again.
Kansas City has Watson days away from free agency, and contributor Joshua Williams joins him. The team rosters Fulton but could cut him soon. Slot player Chamarri Conner has one season left on his rookie deal, though the team traded up for Nohl Williams in last year’s third round. Williams (five 2025 starts) figures to be a more prominent player in Kansas City’s 2026 secondary.
As today’s transaction continues to remind, however, Chiefs corners need to find new homes after their rookie deals wrap. As Kansas City retools here yet again, it will be interesting to see if McDuffie can leapfrog Stingley and Gardner to become the NFL’s highest-paid CB.
This would make a ton of sense for both teams. Rams immediately get a huge and needed upgrade to their secondary. Always good to go into the draft not worried about filling an immediate need. Chiefs were probably going to move on from McDuffie and getting a first rounder out of it is good business as they once again look to bring in young cheap starters around their expensive core players.
Wonder if this makes the Rams a lock to go either offensive tackle or more likely pass catcher with the Falcons pick.
Chiefs should trade back from 9. Given their cap situation this is the perfect chance to load up on cheap 2026 and 2027 draft picks at multiple positions.
Depends who’s there at 9. If a guy like Tate or Bain falls there, they might see an opportunity to draft the kind of player they never get to draft.
They got Jones in the 2nd and Karlarfis as a late 1st. Rice as a 2nd. Even if Tate or Bain are there I think they trade back relying on their scouting development of players. Same way they feel confident trading McDuffie after hitting on later round cbs
I get where you’re coming from, but they might see these guys as a different caliber of prospect. Tate is certainly a better prospect than Rice was going into the draft.
Before this trade, I thought that trading down made sense. Especially if there is not a transformative player they have valued at 9 still available. Now they have the picks to trade up if they want. Not sure that’s the best idea, but it worked for KC in the past.
They were saying Mcvay’s been targeting Makai Lemon
Rams solve arguably their biggest need, chances are you’re not finding a McDuffie caliber player at 29, maximizing the championship window while Stanford is still there
I forgot he had a year left on his contract. The Rams needed a corner. Good addition.
Whoa what a pickup by the rams!
This seems kind of crazy. All the Chief’s talent, if they’re a win now team? is all ancient. You don’t let guys who are 25 in that talent that just leave. So now you have a 30-year-old mahomes with no offensive help and an aging weaker defense. So much for Andy the franchise builder.
Good haul for K.C. Trent is a dog good trade for both teams. One team in win-now mode the other obviously looking to shed $$ and retool.