Chiefs’ Trent McDuffie Expected To Seek Market-Setting CB Contract
The NFL’s top cornerback contract was traded Tuesday, with the Colts taking on Sauce Gardner‘s deal after a blockbuster trade with the Jets. Months earlier, Gardner became the third cornerback this year to raise the cornerback contractual ceiling, securing a four-year, $130.1MM extension.
This has been a trend over the past 14 months. Patrick Surtain raised the bar initially, breaking the ice after a two-year period elapsed with no movement atop the CB market, and Jalen Ramsey came in with a new benchmark a day later in September 2024. The Chiefs have a player who will factor into this conversation, and after Gardner, Derek Stingley Jr. and Jaycee Horn secured market-topping terms this year, it will be expected Trent McDuffie will want the same.
[RELATED: Chiefs Made Offer For Jets RB Breece Hall]
That is expected to be the case, according to ESPN.com’s Nate Taylor, who offers that McDuffie is believed to be seeking an extension that will eclipse Gardner’s in value. Gardner tops the market in AAV ($30.25MM), though Stingley still leads the way in total guarantees ($89.1MM) and fully guaranteed money ($48.1MM) at the position.
Although the Chiefs were able to extend 2022 first-rounder George Karlaftis on a deal outside the top 10 among edge rushers, McDuffie is the more accomplished player from Kansas City’s 2022 class. Despite team interest in a 2025 payday, the sides could not agree on terms this summer. McDuffie, 25, also appears close to becoming the player that convinces the Chiefs to deviate from a long-held philosophy at corner.
Sean Smith did draw a notable contract from the Chiefs, signing a three-year, $16.5MM deal during Andy Reid‘s first offseason in Missouri (2013). Since that contract came off Kansas City’s payroll in 2016, the Chiefs have kept costs low at the position, creating an assembly line of sorts.
The team traded Marcus Peters in 2018, let Steven Nelson walk as a 2019 free agent and did the same with Kendall Fuller (a player initially acquired in the Alex Smith trade) in 2o20. Charvarius Ward left for San Francisco in 2022, and the Chiefs executed a tag-and-trade move to send out L’Jarius Sneed in 2024. The team did give Kristian Fulton a two-year, $20MM deal this offseason; that already brought a deviation. But the former Titans and Chargers cover man has been one of the more disappointing 2025 free agents, playing only 17 defensive snaps as a Chief.
It should be expected Fulton becomes a K.C. one-and-done, with the 2026 offseason being the clear window for a McDuffie extension. The 2022 first-rounder is tied to a $13.63MM fifth-year option in 2026. The team effectively benefits from a loophole in the CBA, with the option formula only recognizing first-ballot Pro Bowls for upward mobility within its four price tiers. McDuffie has been a second-team All-Pro twice, but the Pro Bowl has overlooked him. Thus, a lower-cost option price. However, it should be expected McDuffie will not play the ’26 season on the option.
Used regularly in the slot and on the perimeter, McDuffie has displayed versatility. He has been the Chiefs’ secondary anchor during their three straight Super Bowl years, joining Chris Jones and Nick Bolton as cornerstones on Steve Spagnuolo‘s defense. Pro Football focus ranks McDuffie fifth among corners this season after slotting him in the top five in 2023 and ’24.
Pure boundary CBs lead the market, but given McDuffie’s importance to the Chiefs, it will be expected he becomes the position’s third $30MM-per-year player — especially if the cap makes another leap along the lines of its 2024 and ’25 spikes. That will also be an interesting development for Surtain, who has already seen less accomplished corners move well past his $24MM AAV. The Broncos have the reigning Defensive Player of the Year signed through 2029, however, giving the team some leverage.
As far as McDuffie goes, he looks on track to becoming the corner that changes the Chiefs’ approach. Concessions will then need to be made elsewhere on the roster to accommodate a pricey payday at a position the Chiefs have largely diminished financially under Reid.
Value Jets Obtained In Trades Soon To Bring Daunting Tasks
Twice this century, the Jets have made five first-round picks in a two-year span. Both instances brought degrees of success, with the first such two-fer -- 2000-01 -- setting the team up with a core responsible for producing playoff berths. The second instance (2021-22) supplied impact talent, but Tuesday's trades provide a significant amendment to that Joe Douglas-driven haul's legacy.
The Jets dealing Sauce Gardner -- the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 draft -- to the Colts leaves only Garrett Wilson and Jermaine Johnson as players from the 2021-22 first-round contingent signed beyond this season. In sending Quinnen Williams to the Cowboys, the Jets set themselves up for a draft redux. They will exit this season with five picks between the 2026 and '27 first rounds.
While dealing away players like Gardner and Williams obviously injects risk into the equation for Aaron Glenn and GM Darren Mougey, this regime smartly cashed out when above-market offers came in. This will make for some hard(er)-to-watch Jets football to close out this season, but already being 1-7, not much will be lost here. And a mission statement now exists for the Glenn-Mougey regime, which now holds significant cap space and a draft war chest as yet another Jets rebuild is on tap.
What happened when the Jets previously enjoyed this rare opportunity?
Four other franchises have made five first-round picks in a two-draft span since 2000. It is largely not a good list to be on, as it includes the Browns (2017-18), Raiders (2019-20) and Dolphins (2020-21). The Vikings made seven first-round selections from 2012-14, with three coming in 2013, and that septet helped form the core for three Mike Zimmer-coached playoff teams. The 2000 Jets, however, are the best example of turning this rare opportunity into success in the modern NFL.
Giants Were Hesitant To Trade Stars Due To Job Security
Despite rumblings about a few of their players, the Giants had a quiet trade deadline.
Trading Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence never felt realistic. Teams seemed unlikely to pony up a first-round pick for edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, who has just 2.5 sacks this season. And the Giants could not find takers on offensive lineman Evan Neal or wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, two players on expiring deals they were open to moving.
Uncertainty around the team’s future also lent itself to standing pat on Tuesday, per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. The Giants’ current regime desperately needs to show proof-of-concept with their current vision for the walker. Jettisoning two of their top young defenders could make the team look bad enough down the stretch to threaten the jobs of general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll.
However, the Giants are still realistic about their current standing and need to add talent in the offseason. They were only interested in players under contract through at least 2026, as trading draft picks for rentals would not better the team’s future.
There’s a careful balance to be struck there. At 2-6, the Giants may be content with a losing season if it means a top draft pick. Given the scrutiny on Schoen and Daboll, they may not be intentionally tanking, but adding a rental could help them win an extra game or two without boosting their overall playoff chances. At that point, the extra victories may not be worth the resulting drop in the draft order.
In a way, though, the Giants’ quiet deadline suggests that Schoen and Daboll believe that they have one more year in charge, but their jobs are not secure beyond that. Investing heavily in this year would suggest that they are on the hot seat right now, while trading Lawrence or Thibodeaux for future picks would indicate that they are committed to a long-term rebuild with Dart under center.
Instead, it seems like New York will be approaching the 2026 offseason with the hope of improving their roster around Dart and contending for an NFC playoff spot to show they’re capable of even more.
Chiefs Made Offer For RB Breece Hall; Jets Did Not Budge On Asking Price
Isiah Pacheco is out once again, forcing the Chiefs to lean on 30-year-old Kareem Hunt and seventh-round rookie Brashard Smith. Kansas City was linked to running back trades since August, even though the team believed Pacheco would deliver a strong contract year. Nothing materialized, but it was not for lack of trying.
The Chiefs are believed to have made an offer for the top running back available, with SNY’s Connor Hughes reporting the three-time reigning AFC champions sent a fourth-round proposal to the Jets for Breece Hall. The Jets held out for a third, according to Hughes and ESPN’s Dan Graziano. Only one running back (Tank Bigsby) ended up being traded in-season, and that deal occurred in mid-September.
After the Jets’ explosive deadline, Aaron Glenn said (via Hughes) Hall is “not a guy I want to get rid of.” This, of course, came after Hall made a last-ditch trade request following the Jets’ trades of Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams. But the Jets will now move into position to potentially discuss a second contract for the former second-round pick. They will hold exclusive Hall negotiating rights until the March legal tampering period.
Glenn spoke against a Hall trade before the deadline, and previous reporting pegged the Jets as setting a Day 2 asking price for the contract-year back. The Chiefs backed down on offering what will likely be a late-Day 2 selection, given their success under Andy Reid, and will move forward with Hunt, Smith and eventually Pacheco.
Kansas City has been unable to find a dynamic back since Hunt’s first stint, one that brought an abrupt ending due to the running back being shown kicking a woman on the ground at a Cleveland hotel. That video led to the Chiefs waiving Hunt, and the Patrick Mahomes era has since included low-end investments at the position. While the Chiefs have seen some players make memorable contributions — from Pacheco to Damien Williams to pass-down specialist Jerick McKinnon — they have not had a player on Hall’s level since waiving the younger Hunt version seven years ago.
The team did make efforts here, missing on Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the 2020 first round and then seeing a 2024 Josh Jacobs free agency push fall short. But the AFC power has understandably prioritized higher-value positions, letting the likes of Pacheco (a 2022 seventh-round pick) and low-end free agents (Williams, McKinnon, Hunt 2.0) handle ball-carrying duties.
The Chiefs rank 12th in rushing, but Mahomes’ 285 yards has contributed heavily to that number. Pacheco is not on IR, being deemed week-to-week with an MCL sprain, so it is possible Kansas City will be at full strength coming out of its Week 10 bye. But the Chiefs’ Hall push shows a sense of urgency — but ultimately a price point — with regards to adding a back this season. This also would have been at least a regional homecoming for Hall, who went to high school in Wichita, Kansas.
A fourth-rounder would have been nothing to scoff at regarding a rental trade for the Jets. While Gang Green dealt Gardner and Williams, the team held onto players who drew more pre-deadline rumors — Jermaine Johnson, Quincy Williams, Allen Lazard. The Jets, however, now have more time to evaluate Hall in Tanner Engstrand‘s offense.
Hall, 24, is on pace for his first 1,000-yard season. A report indicated the Jets — who had not shown interest in an extension this year — have seen some in the facility show more interest in signing Hall to a second contract. While the RB market has seen a gradual depression, some high-value deals for stars notwithstanding, Hall’s age and his ACL tear having occurred back in 2022 should give him a reasonably strong market come March.
Commanders Work Out S Marcus Maye, Three Others
The Commanders are looking to add some safety depth. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the team worked out four safeties yesterday: Marcus Maye, K’Von Wallace, Daryl Worley, and Jaylen Mahoney.
Maye is the most accomplished of the bunch, as the former second-round pick has 92 games on his resume. The veteran got into 15 games in stints with the Dolphins and Chargers in 2024, and that campaign ended on injured reserve after Maye suffered an ankle injury in December. While the safety hasn’t recently come close to matching his Jets run, he still graded out as an above-average safety during his age-31 season.
Worley has gotten into even more games, as the journeyman has 99 appearances since his debut in 2016. While the West Virginia product was a starter earlier in his career with the Panthers and Raiders, he’s settled into more of a backup role in recent years, starting only 15 of his 42 appearances since the 2020 campaign. Wallace got a chance to start in 2023 when he was with the Cardinals and Titans, but he reverted back to his reeserve role with the Seahawks in 2024.
Mahoney is the only inexperienced option out of the foursome. The former Vanderbilt star joined the 49ers as a UDFA in 2024 and ended up getting into three games as a rookie. He stuck with San Francisco through the offseason and landed on their practice squad following the 2025 preseason. He was cut from the 49ers taxi squad last month.
Quan Martin exited Sunday night’s game with a hamstring issue, and Tyler Owens popped up on this week’s injury report with the same issue. While the Commanders should eventually get Will Harris back on the field, the team could be temporarily tapped at the position. Jeremy Reaves, Darnell Savage, and Percy Butler represent the team’s only healthy options at the position, with Robert McDaniel also around on the practice squad.
Jets Bench LB Quincy Williams, Discussed Trade With Cowboys
After trading two defensive leaders yesterday, the Jets continue to shake up their personnel on that side of the ball. According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, the team is benching linebacker Quincy Williams.
[RELATED: Jets Trade Quinnen Williams To Cowboys]
“My coaches told me I was underperforming, that I’ve been underperforming since training camp,” Williams told Cimini. While the former All-Pro admitted that he is “not thrilled” with the decision, he clarified that he’s “not mad” and hopes to win his job back.
The Jets added Williams off waivers ahead of the 2021 campaign, pairing him with his brother, Quinnen Williams. The acquisition had an immediate impact in New York, collecting 110 tackles during his first season with the Jets. That started a streak of four-straight 100-plus-tackle campaigns, including a 2023 season where he earned an All-Pro nod after finishing with a career-high 139 stops.
Williams’ production has been down in 2025. He missed four games with a shoulder injury, and he’s otherwise been limited to 22 tackles and 1.5 sacks in four starts. Pro Football Focus seems to back the coaching staff’s assessment, as the site currently ranks Williams 57th among 82 qualifying linebackers.
While Quincy watched as Quinnen was shipped off during yesterday’s trade deadline, the linebacker was almost included in the same deal. According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, the Cowboys discussed a deal with the Jets that would have seen Dallas acquire both Williams brothers. That specific deal obviously didn’t come to fruition, and the Cowboys ended up pivoting to former Bengals defender Logan Wilson to fill the linebacker void.
The 29-year-old is set to hit free agency after this season, and it seems pretty clear that the current regime is souring on the former defensive star. Considering Williams’ demotion, it’s a bit surprising that the Jets didn’t jump at the opportunity to move off of the linebacker.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/5/25
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: G Nick Leverett
Detroit Lions
- Signed: OL Chris Hubbard, OL Netane Muti
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: LS Peter Bowden
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: K Harrison Mevis
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DT Coziah Izzard
New York Jets
- Signed: S Jarius Monroe
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DL Andrew Farmer
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: OL Karsen Barnhart
- Placed on IR: OL Tyler McLellan
Washington Commanders
- Signed: CB Tre Hawkins, S Daryl Worley
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/5/25
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: TE Josiah Deguara
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: DL Ta’Quon Graham
Chicago Bears
- Activated from IR: LB Amen Ogbongbemiga
Detroit Lions
- Signed from practice squad: LB Ty Summers
- Placed on IR: OL Christian Mahogany
Los Angeles Chargers
- Designated for return from IR: DT Da’Shawn Hand
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed from practice squad: RB Ronnie Rivers
Miami Dolphins
- Signed off Lions’ practice squad: DE Andre Carter II
New Orleans Saints
- Signed from practice squad: RB Audric Estime
New York Jets
- Signed from practice squad: S Dean Clark
- Placed on IR: S Andre Cisco (story)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed off Chiefs’ practice squad: DT Brodric Martin
Tennessee Titans
- Claimed off waivers (from Seahawks): S Jerrick Reed
Washington Commanders
- Signed from practice squad: WR Treylon Burks, DT Sheldon Day
Lions DE Josh Paschal, OL Miles Frazier Return To Practice
The Lions started the practice clock on a pair of players today. According to Justin Rogers of the Detroit Football Network, defensive end Josh Paschal returned to practice today. Meanwhile, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports that lineman Miles Frazier was also designated to return today.
Paschal has been sidelined all season while tending to a back injury that required surgery. A former second-round pick, the defensive end is coming off a 2024 campaign where he got into a career-high 549 defensive snaps. He finished last season with two sacks and eight QB hits.
He’ll likely settle into a rotational role when he’s ready to return to the field. Al-Quadin Muhammad has performed well playing opposite Aidan Hutchinson this season, meaning Paschal will have to compete with Tyler Lacy (and eventually Marcus Davenport) for any leftover reps.
Frazier is working his way back from a knee injury that landed him on PUP before the season started. The Lions moved up in this past year’s draft to select the LSU product in the third round, and they clearly have high hopes for the rookie. However, coach Dan Campbell cautioned that the Lions will slow-play Frazier’s practice window.
“No training camp, no nothing, so this will be a little bit of a baby fawn at the beginning and then he’ll quickly grow,” Campbell said today (via Tim Twentyman of the team’s website). “It’s a little bit like (Christian) Mahogany (last year). It took a while but once we got him, he just quickly grew with practice reps.”
Of course, the Lions could use Frazier’s versatility sooner than later. Mahogany is sidelined for at least the next month thanks to a broken bone in his leg, while tackles Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell both missed practice today as they nursed injuries. Per Twentyman, the Lions used their rookie lineman at both guard spots and right tackle during today’s practice, and Frazier’s ability to play multiple positions should help him see the field sooner than later.
Texans Place Two On IR, Add K Matthew Wright To Practice Squad
A pair of Texans defenders are heading to injured reserve. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the team is placing cornerback Jaylin Smith and defensive end Darrell Taylor on IR.
Smith will miss at least the next four games while he nurses an undisclosed injury. The rookie third-round pick has played sparingly in 2025, getting into 31 defensive snaps and 78 special teams snaps in four games. The USC product was serving as a back-of-the-depth-chart boundary corner for Houston, and journeyman Tremon Smith will likely soak up any remaining backup snaps at the position.
Taylor has also barely seen the field during his first season with the franchise. The defensive lineman has gotten into four games, and he’s mostly split his 64 snaps between defense and special teams. The former second-round pick compiled 21.5 sacks in three seasons with Seattle before spending the 2024 campaign in Chicago. An ankle issue will sideline him through November.
Elsewhere in Houston, the team made some adjustments to their practice squad. According to Wilson, the team added kicker Matthew Wright and released tight end Dalton Keene.
Per Wilson, Texans starting kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn is dealing with a lower body injury that will put his status for Week 10 in doubt. Jonathan M Alexander of the Houston Chronicle is a bit more definitive with his report, noting that Fairbairn isn’t expected to play this weekend. The veteran is coming off a Week 9 performance where he connected on five of his six field goal attempts.
Wright is apparently the team’s solution to temporarily fill that spot. The Texans represent the veteran’s 11th NFL team, although he’s mostly been limited to cameos in his previous spots. In total, Wright has appeared in 31 career games, connecting on 87.5 percent of his field goal tries (56 for 64) and 95.6 percent of his XP attempts (43 for 45).
A former Patriots draft pick, Keene has spent parts of the past three seasons in Houston. He’s been limited to a single game during his Texans tenure.