The Kansas City Chiefs have agreed to send All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for four draft picks, a source confirmed to The Star.
Kansas City receives LA’s No. 29 overall pick in 2026, a fifth-rounder and a sixth-rounder. The Chiefs also get the Rams’ third-round selection in 2027.
McDuffie, 25, was selected by Kansas City out of Washington with the 21st pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. McDuffie delivered for the Chiefs, becoming the unquestioned leader of their secondary while earning first-team All-Pro honors in 2023 and second-team All-Pro recognition in 2024.
In 2026, McDuffie was set to enter the fifth-year option season of his rookie contract, which carried a salary cap hit of $13.6 million. That number now comes off the books for the Chiefs, with the Rams reportedly planning to sign the cornerback to a long-term extension.
Last Tuesday, during his NFL Combine news conference, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach alluded to meeting with McDuffie’s representatives.
“We’ve had a lot of dialogue with Trent last spring, last summer,” Veach said. “He’s first out of the gate (Wednesday), so looking forward to get with (them). Obviously, Trent’s a great player and see what we can do there, but we’d certainly love to have Trent back for the long term.”
That likely wasn’t in the cards given the long-term contract terms McDuffie is seeking.
The move means Kansas City is now projected to make nine picks in this year’s NFL Draft. The Chiefs now hold two first-round picks — No. 9 and No. 29 — plus one second-round selection, one third-round selection, one fourth-round selection, three fifth-round selections and one sixth-round selection.
In 56 regular-season appearances with the Chiefs, McDuffie registered 246 tackles (178 solo), 34 passes defensed and three interceptions.
As is often noted in these moments, he’ll forever be a champion with the Chiefs, having won rings with the team in Super Bowl LVII and LVIII.