Trent McDuffie, Rams Reportedly Agree to Historic Contract After Chiefs Trade, Updated Salary Cap

Former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie is locked in for another four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams.

McDuffie and the Rams agreed to an four-year, $124 million contract extension after a recent trade from the Chiefs:

The new deal makes McDuffie the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.

McDuffie was previously set to hit unrestricted free agency in 2027 following the expiration of his rookie contract.

He is set to cost $13.63 million against the Rams’ cap for 2026 before his new deal kicks in ahead of the 2027 campaign. McDuffie was traded by the Chiefs in exchange for four draft picks, including a 2026 first-rounder.

The deal took place after the Chiefs tried and failed last year to negotiate an extension with McDuffie, who was looking for a “market-topping deal,” per Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer.

Los Angeles’ salary cap sits at $278.4 million entering free agency, per Spotrac. Prior to the new deal, the Rams had $133 million counting towards the salary cap in 2027, according to Spotrac.

The former first-round pick had developed into a key part of the Chiefs’ defense during his four seasons in Kansas City. That included an All-Pro 2023 campaign, highlighted by seven postseason passes defensed during the Chiefs’ run to a second straight Super Bowl.

McDuffie most recently recorded 63 tackles with a sack, forced fumble and interception in 13 games of the 2025 season before he was shut down in early December with a knee injury.

The Rams had more than $40 million in cap space prior to the McDuffie trade. The franchise will now use up some of that flexibility in order to bolster a secondary that struggled down the stretch last season.

The Los Angeles secondary ranked 19th in Pro Football Focus’ coverage grade from Week 13 onward, per PFF’s Dalton Wasserman, and the unit faltered in an NFC title game loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

The Rams will hope a long-term commitment from McDuffie, who will turn 26 early in the 2026 season, will help this team build on that postseason run and make it all the way to Super Bowl LXI next February.