Having been traded from the Chiefs to the Rams in principle earlier this week, Trent McDuffie has agreed to a contract that makes him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history
22:28 ET, 08 Mar 2026
Trent McDuffie has agreed to become the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history
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Trent McDuffie has agreed to become the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history(Image: Getty Images)
Trent McDuffie has reset the cornerback market while he waits for his trade from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Los Angeles Rams to go through.
Earlier this week, the Rams agreed to trade for McDuffie for a package of picks that includes the No. 29 selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. The two-time All-Pro is one of the best in the league and fits a key need for the Rams this offseason.
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McDuffie was entering the final season of his rookie deal. Having been selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Chiefs exercised his fifth-year option, making his 2026 salary of $13.6 million fully guaranteed.
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After the Rams agreed to trade for McDuffie, the cornerback has now secured a long-term deal that makes him the highest-paid player in his position. The 25-year-old agreed to a four-year extension worth a record $124 million — with $100 million guaranteed.
The new contract makes McDuffie the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history. The trade and the deal can become official at the start of the new league year on Wednesday.
McDuffie now averages $31 million each year, surpassing the Indianapolis Colts’ Sauce Gardner ($30.1 million) and Houston Texans’ Derek Stingley ($30 million) atop the cornerback salary rankings. Stingley had the previous record for highest guaranteed money for a cornerback at $89 million.
McDuffie spent his first four seasons with the Chiefs, winning two Super Bowl championships with the AFC West franchise. He was named a First-team All-Pro in 2023.
Across his 56-game career, McDuffie has recorded 34 pass breakups, eight forced fumbles, 5.5 sacks, and three interceptions. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, McDuffie allowed 6.0 yards per target in coverage in the past two seasons, which ranks third among defensive backs who have been targeted at least 150 times.
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Trent McDuffie was dealt to the Rams on Wednesday after four seasons with the Chiefs
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Trent McDuffie was dealt to the Rams on Wednesday after four seasons with the Chiefs
The trade sends McDuffie back to his home area. He hails from Southern California and played his senior year of high school at St. John Bosco.
Back in August, while hosting a back-to-school event in Kansas City, Missouri, McDuffie was asked which franchise he’d want to play for if he weren’t on the Chiefs. He said: “You're going to get me in trouble. Let's think.
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“If I could play for another team, I'd probably want to play close to my family, so that would probably be the L.A. Rams, so that my family could come see every single game.”
The Rams desperately needed secondary help entering the offseason. The Rams had four pending free agents at cornerback, while Darious Williams announced his retirement on Saturday.
Along with pick No. 29, the Chiefs will receive 2026 fifth— and sixth-round selections and a 2027 third-rounder as part of the trade. The Rams still have the No. 13 overall selection after trading back with the Atlanta Falcons during the 2025 NFL Draft. The Falcons eventually picked James Pearce Jr., who tallied 10.5 sacks as a rookie.