There's a general understanding with NFL contracts that the longer teams wait to sign players, the more expensive they'll be. That's especially true for obvious stars who clearly deserve to be paid at the top of their respective positions.
Unfortunately for the Kansas City Chiefs, All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie's price tag on a potential extension just went up for the second time in the last seven days. After the Carolina Panthers signed Pro Bowler Jaycee Horn to a $100 million deal worth $25 million annually, the Houston Texans beat Brett Veach to the punch with an even larger deal for their stellar corner.
If you thought it'd be tough to pay both McDuffie and George Karlaftis, the two standout first-rounders from the 2022 draft class, things are now much worse.
The top has been blown off the DB market. Sources say #Texans CB Derek Stingley Jr. is the NFL’s new highest paid DB.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 17, 2025
Stingley has agreed to terms on a 3-year, $90M deal — $30M per year. The deal done by David Mulugheta of @AthletesFirst includes a whopping $89M guaranteed. pic.twitter.com/sG0tQU3j0U
Chiefs CB Trent McDuffie's Price Tag Skyrockets After Texans' Derek Stingley Jr. Contract
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Texans and Derek Stingley Jr. agreed to a three-year deal worth $90 million with a whopping $89 million guaranteed. His $30 million annual average is obviously higher than Horn's, and now the Chiefs will be expected to match or raise that salary for McDuffie.
Veach has famously never signed a homegrown defensive back to an extension, though the general assumption is that McDuffie will be the first. He's a two-time All-Pro and widely regarded as one of the best corners in the NFL, ranking third out of 222 qualified players at Pro Football Focus last season.
Stingley is one of the few players you could argue was better than McDuffie, but his representation won't lack arguments in his favor when negotiating with Kansas City either. The Chiefs still have McDuffie under contract in 2025 and have a club option in 2026, though things are only going to get more expensive as more deals are signed.
Now, the NFL landscape is waiting to see what happens with the New York Jets and Sauce Gardner. If Kansas City and McDuffie don't get a contract done before Gardner's, it's not unreasonable to think that McDuffie could command upwards of $33-$35 million annually.
That'd be a problem, so it behooves the Chiefs to put pen to paper as soon as possible.