Why Kansas City and Los Angeles both benefit from the Trent McDuffie trade

The NFL’s free agency period won’t begin for another week, but the craziness associated with that portion of the NFL offseason has already begun. On Wednesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter announced that Trent McDuffie was being traded from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Los Angeles Rams for a 2026 first-round pick (No. 29 overall), a 2026 fifth-round pick, a 2026 sixth-round pick, and a 2027 third-round pick:

McDuffie played for the University of Washington from 2019-2021, and was named a third-team All-American during his junior season. He was then drafted at No. 21 overall in 2022 by Kansas City, where he’d earn two Super Bowl rings and two All-Pro selections in his first four seasons. It’ll take years to accurately gauge the effects of this blockbuster trade, but at first glance, I think it benefits both teams.

Why Kansas City dealt former Husky Trent McDuffie

The Chiefs are entering this offseason with more than $8 million in cap space debt, so they needed to free up some cash. By trading McDuffie, who was set to earn $13.6 million in 2026 after having his fifth-year option picked up, the Chiefs have put themselves back in positive financial territory. 

Kansas City has now also significantly increased their draft capital. They entered this year’s draft with just six picks: one in each of the first four rounds, and two in the fifth, thanks to a compensatory pick. 

They’ve now got nine selections in April’s draft, including two in the first round. Those extra three selections will come a long way as Kansas City tries to rebound from its first losing season under superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Mahomes isn’t happy to see McDuffie go, but it may have been the right move given Kansas City’s prior shortage of draft picks. The Chiefs have needs at a number of high-value positions, like wide receiver, offensive tackle, and cornerback. At Pick No. 9 overall, they’ll have a good shot at landing the class’ best prospect for one of those positions. 

But now that they’ve added Pick No. 29, their options have expanded. I expect a second run of tackles and wide receivers to start around then, which would be fortuitous if the Chiefs choose to replace McDuffie at Pick No. 9. However, this is a deep cornerback draft, so it’s possible they wait until Days 2 and 3 to make a move in that direction.

Why Los Angeles traded for former Husky McDuffie

The Los Angeles Rams have officially addressed their biggest need of this offseason: Reloading at cornerback. Los Angeles was probably one McDuffie away from winning the Super Bowl this year, but couldn’t contain wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba in two losses to the eventual champions, the Seattle Seahawks.

Four Rams cornerbacks are set to hit free agency, and Darious Williams will turn 33 next week. Los Angeles needs a total rehaul at the position, and McDuffie is as close to a guaranteed solution as exists in the market this offseason. 

Of course, McDuffie’s talents will come at a price. Los Angeles is expected to sign him to a long-term deal, which will almost certainly cost the Rams upwards of $20 million per year. However, the Rams have almost $30 million in cap space, so they’ll likely be able to bring McDuffie onboard without breaking the bank.

McDuffie will instantly improve LA’s pass defense, but the Rams will likely need to get him some help in the upcoming draft. Thankfully, they were able to trade for McDuffie without compromising their incoming draft class, as they previously held two picks in each of the rounds (first, fifth, sixth) from which they gave picks to Kansas City. 

The Rams had an extra first-round pick in this year’s draft thanks to Atlanta, which traded up for James Pearce Jr. in 2025. They also had an extra fifth-round pick from Tennessee and an extra sixth-round pick from Houston due to prior trades involving Ernest Jones IV and Ben Skowronek, respectively. 

Though three 2026 draft picks are headed to Kansas City (plus a third-rounder in 2027), the Rams will likely still be able to capitalize on this year’s talented class of prospects. With picks in every round but the fourth, including three picks in the seventh, Los Angeles will still be able to address the other holes in their roster via the draft.

The move also made sense for McDuffie, who was born in nearby Orange County. Before the 2025 season, he named the Rams as the team he’d most want to play for besides the Chiefs. Take a look: