Regardless of the sport, it is rare in this day and age to see players at the top of their game be so loyal to a franchise and its pursuit of greatness that they are willing to put the betterment of the team ahead of themselves but that is exactly what is going on right now with one of the leaders of the Chiefs defense.
Since entering the NFL as the No. 21 overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, Trent McDuffie has enjoyed nothing but team success and individual success as a member of Kansas City's defensive backfield. In his three years with the Chiefs, Kansas City has won two Super Bowls, and McDuffie has made a pair of All-Pro teams. It is hard to ask for more than that as a player, and that explains why McDuffie wants to keep a good thing going as long as he can.
During a session with the media on Monday, McDuffie recommitted to the Chiefs by stating as clearly as he possibly could that he is open to doing whatever his defensive coaches ask of him to help Kansas City remain one of the league's elite teams.
"During our exit interviews, they talked about that," McDuffie said when discussing the potential for a change in his role on defense, per Charles Goldman of AtoZSports.com. "Moving back inside, allowing me to influence the game a bit more, blitzing."
With McDuffie set to enter the final guaranteed year of his rookie contract, the former University of Washington standout left no doubts about his opinion of the Chiefs' organization and the Kansas City area. This truly sounds like a man who has found what he considers to be a new home amongst Chiefs Kingdom.
“I love the city. I love the coaches, love my teammates. I would love to be back with the team,” McDuffie said, per Jeff Fedotin of Forbes.com. “If it’s a long-term deal, I’d be ecstatic. That’s for sure.”
Even if the franchise isn't set to offer McDuffie a long-term contract, McDuffie knows what he can control and what he can't. As long as he remains healthy and continues to produce when called upon, everything else should work out as it is supposed to.
“As long as I’m producing on the field, as long as I’m maximizing every opportunity and putting my best foot forward, at the end of the day, whatever they choose, I can live with,” McDuffie said, per Fedotin. “If they want to sign me, I would love to. If they don’t, I mean, there’s nothing but love for Kansas City.”
While it is impossible to predict what the future will hold, McDuffie certainly appears to be signaling to Brett Veach and the Chiefs front office that Kansas City is at the top of his list.