The Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs made a significant trade on Wednesday, as the Chiefs are sending cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Rams for a package of picks.
McDuffie is in line for a contract extension, but Kansas City clearly wasn't interested in being the team to give him the deal. So, the Chiefs found common ground with a familiar trade partner, as the Rams add McDuffie to their defense for the 2026 season.
Los Angeles is no stranger to trading first-round picks for players. The Rams have now traded nine of their last ten own first-round picks since the 2017 season, with the only selection being pass rusher Jared Verse.
How the Rams' own 1st round pick has been used since 2017:
2017: Traded to Titans
2018: Traded to Patriots
2019: Traded to Falcons
2020: Traded to Jaguars
2021: Traded to Jaguars
2022: Traded to Lions
2023: Traded to Lions
2024: Jared Verse
2025: Traded to Falcons
2026: Traded…
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 4, 2026
This trade is a sign of the way these two teams will operate this offseason, as they prepare their teams for the 2026 season. Here's how both teams made out in the deal.
MORE: Why Chiefs, Rams pulled off blockbuster trade involving Trent McDuffie
Trent McDuffie trade details
Rams get:
CB Trent McDuffie
Chiefs get:
2026 first-round pick (29 overall)
2026 fifth-round pick
2026 sixth-round pick
2027 third-round pick
Trent McDuffie trade grades
Rams grade: A
The Rams are trying to maximize the final years of Matthew Stafford's career, and McDuffie helps them strengthen a defense that needed some playmakers. McDuffie is battle-tested, having won two Super Bowls in Kansas City, and gives Los Angeles a playmaker in the secondary who is still just 25 years-old.
Les Snead made it a habit to trade first-round picks for proven veterans in the Rams' contention window, but this is an easy decision consider Los Angeles has two picks in the 2026 first round. The Rams own the Atlanta Falcons pick at No. 12 overall, thanks to a savvy trade in last year's draft, so the team can have it both ways by trading No. 29 but keeping No. 12.
Los Angeles will have to sign McDuffie to a long-term deal as part of this trade. The cornerback is entering the final year of his deal, and is in line for a huge extension, but Los Angeles has the cap space to make it happen.
Chiefs grade: B+
The Chiefs are in a bit of a transition coming off a disappointing 6-11 season, and part of that transition is cleaning up the cap. Therefore, trading one-year of McDuffie for four picks is worth it for Kansas City, considering the team was unlikely to sign the cornerback to an extension.
Kansas City now has three picks in the top 40, allowing the Chiefs to acquire cheap, young talent to help reshape the roster. While McDuffie was an incredible Chiefs player for four years, but Kansas City's bloated cap sheet makes a McDuffie extension less palatable.
Therefore, the Chiefs can now focus on building through the draft as a way to retool the team. In 2022, after Kansas City trade Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins in a similar situation, the team drafted McDuffie with one of its two first-round picks, so the Chiefs will look to replicate the success.
MORE: How Trent McDuffie spoke Rams trade into existence with preseason comment