The Kansas City Chiefs are on the doorstep of starting training camp, which begins on July 21. Before stepping back into the building, the Chiefs handed out a monster extension to guard Trey Smith, which came away with a four-year, $94 million deal.
He's now the highest-paid guard in the NFL, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes was thrilled to see that news ahead of the 2025 season. Keeping Mahomes upright is one of the main priorities for Kansas City, and now they could be shifting their attention to the defensive side of the ball after the latest contract extension.
On Tuesday, the New York Jets and CB Sauce Gardner agreed to a four-year, $120.4 million deal, making him the highest-paid corner in the league. Attention has creeped up on Trent McDuffie, according to ESPN's Nate Taylor.
During Tuesday's NFL Live show, Taylor said, "The Chiefs will now shift their focus to All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie.”
“The #Chiefs will now shift their focus to All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie.”
— Chiefs Blitz (@ChiefsBlitz) July 15, 2025
— @ByNateTaylor on @ESPNNFL. pic.twitter.com/5ndPmlVXOL
Chiefs and Trent McDuffie Contract Talks Set to Kick Up
This offseason alone, Gardner ($120 million, $30.1 AAV), Derek Stingley ($90 million, $30 AAV), and Jaycee Horn ($100 million, $25 AAV) have all received new deals, and McDuffie has to be ready to cash in.
He was drafted in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft and has developed into one of the better cornerbacks in the league. The California native has been a key member of this secondary en route to winning Super Bowls LVII and LVIII. McDuffie also has a First-Team All-Pro (2023) and Second-Team All-Pro (2024) under his belt.
In 43 career games, McDuffie has secured 183 total tackles, 14 QB hits, seven forced fumbles, 27 pass deflections, and two interceptions.
Trent McDuffie 2023 PFF Grades | Trent McDuffie 2024 PFF Grades |
|---|---|
Overall Grade: 82.9 (8th among 229 CBs) | Overall Grade: 83.1 (3rd among 222 CBs) |
Coverage Grade: 78.3 (28th among 229 CBs) | Coverage Grade: 80.6 (9th among 222 CBs) |
The longer the Chiefs wait to pay McDuffie, the price will only increase. It was just last September when Patrick Surtain and the Denver Broncos agreed to terms on a four-year, $96 million deal. At the point, he was the highest-paid CB, and now he's fifth among CBs.
McDuffie has earned a new deal, and with another big-time CB landing a deal, Kansas City understands it's time to hammer out a deal, and this will be another storyline to watch for in KCKingdom.