Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Kansas City Chiefs will kick off the 2025 NFL season in São Paulo against the Los Angeles Chargers without a long-term deal in place for their top cornerback. Sources told ESPN that Trent McDuffie and the Chiefs are not expected to finalize a multiyear extension before Friday’s opener.
The Chiefs and McDuffie have held several rounds of talks over the past six weeks, but negotiations never reached the finish line. McDuffie, 24, enters his fourth season on the final year of his rookie deal, set to earn a base salary of $2.61 million. In April, the team exercised his fifth-year option for 2026, guaranteeing him $13.6 million.
Despite the uncertainty, McDuffie has remained focused.
“Moving forward now, really, it’s just about the season and about [Friday’s] game,” McDuffie said. “I’m not too worried about the contract. That can just happen in the [next] offseason. Let’s just go out there and have a great year.”
Chiefs’ Defensive Cornerstone
McDuffie is coming off the best season of his young career, recording two interceptions, 13 pass breakups, 59 tackles, and a forced fumble. He logged 996 defensive snaps and played press coverage on a league-leading 63.5% of them — the second-highest mark by any outside corner in the past seven seasons, according to Next Gen Stats.
His consistency has been a key part of Kansas City’s back-to-back Super Bowl titles and their return to the championship game last year. In 10 career postseason contests, McDuffie has tallied 13 pass breakups, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach acknowledged McDuffie’s importance to the roster.
“We definitely have had dialogue,” Veach said last week. “He’s a guy that’s obviously a special player. We’re going to continue that dialogue, and hopefully something gets worked out. Trent is obviously going to be a priority.”
Gardner’s Deal Raises the Bar
The cornerback market shifted in July when Jets star Sauce Gardner — the fourth overall pick in McDuffie’s draft class — signed a four-year, $120.4 million extension with $85.6 million guaranteed. Any deal for McDuffie would likely need to surpass Gardner’s, making him the league’s highest-paid cornerback.
SB Nation has projected McDuffie’s next contract at three years and $97 million, which would put his average annual value above Gardner’s.
What’s Next
The Chiefs drafted McDuffie 21st overall in 2022, making him the first of two first-round picks they acquired in the Tyreek Hill trade. He’s since become one of the league’s most reliable young defenders, earning two All-Pro nods in three seasons.
If the two sides fail to reach a deal this year or next offseason, Kansas City could eventually use the franchise tag in 2027, which would keep McDuffie off the free-agent market. This year’s tag for cornerbacks was $20.2 million.
For now, McDuffie says his only concern is the field.
“I love being a Chief,” he said in July. “I know the contract stuff will come.”
More must-reads:
Micah Parsons Embraces Fresh Start with Packers After Blockbuster Trade
Panthers Bring Back Hunter Renfrow as Jalen Coker Lands on IR
