Arrowhead Pride
The Chiefs may have already waited too long to extend cornerback Trent McDuffie, despite his signing window only opening in February.
Cornerback contracts have continued to soar in the NFL, with Derek Stingley breaking the bank on a three-year, $90 million extension this offseason that included $89 million in total guarantees.
Six cornerbacks have annual salaries worth over $20 million per year, and Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Trent McDuffie could be the next to hit the mark.
McDuffie, entering his age-25 season, is going into the fourth year of his rookie contract in 2025. The Chiefs have already picked up his fifth-year option, which will pay him $13.6 million in 2026, but a long-term extension is expected sooner rather than later for one of the best young cornerbacks in the NFL.
Kansas City has had an interesting trajectory at cornerback, letting a few of their homegrown stars go after their rookie deals expired. Some notable names include L’Jarius Sneed, who got a four-year, $80 million deal with the Tennessee Titans, and Charvarius Ward, who signed with the San Francisco 49ers back in 2022.
But, McDuffie could change that, as he’s already earned a First-Team All-Pro selection and a Second-Team All-Pro selection in his first three years in the NFL. Additionally, he’s shown up in the biggest moments, being a key cog on the Chiefs’ defense in the playoffs.
What could a possible extension for McDuffie look like, be it this or next offseason?
Given McDuffie’s age and immediate production, it’s not out of the question to say he can reset the cornerback market when he gets extended.
He was part of a strong 2022 cornerback draft class that included Derek Stingley, Sauce Gardner, and Tariq Woolen, and that group has already started to reap the benefits.
Stingley signed a three-year, $90 million deal with $89 million guaranteed, as mentioned above, which completely reset the market. Before that, Jaycee Horn’s four-year, $100 million deal was at the top for cornerbacks, which was signed a week earlier this offseason.
Last offseason, Patrick Surtain II signed a four-year, $96 million deal with $77.5 million guaranteed, which reset the market.
So, the cornerback market is only going up, which is why it’d be smart for the Chiefs to act sooner rather than later on a McDuffie deal if they’re confident he’ll be a part of their future long-term.
Now, there is something important to note with the rookie extensions. Stingley did have two years remaining on his rookie deal (fourth year + fifth-year option), so his total compensation is five years for $113 million. That $22.6 million per year is still significant, but sounds a lot more feasible than $30 million per year.
Similarly, Jaycee Horn had the fifth-year option left on his rookie contract, so his total compensation was $112.5 million over five years, slightly below Stingley’s.
Patrick Surtain also had two years left on his rookie deal (fourth year + fifth-year option),...
