Chiefs Rival Just Made Trent McDuffie Contract Talks More Difficult
By Cem Yolbulan
Chiefs GM Brett Veach is known for his unwillingness to give second contracts to defensive backs. He has never given a contract extension to a member of the Chiefs' secondary, as most recently exemplified by letting L'Jarius Sneed leave this past offseason. Next offseason, however, Veach's approach will be put to its hardest test when Trent McDuffie becomes extension-eligible.
Having already established himself as one of the best cornerbacks in the league, McDuffie's extension negotiations were always going to make Veach sweat. Now, thanks to the news out of Denver, it will make those talks that much harder for the Chiefs.
According to Ian Rapoport, the Broncos signed their star CB Patrick Surtain II to a four-year, $96 million extension, making him the highest-paid defensive back ever. This now sets the market for elite cornerbacks and will act as the floor in McDuffie negotiations.
New Patrick Surtain Extension Resets the Cornerback Market
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— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 4, 2024
Sources: The #Broncos and star CB Patrick Surtain II have agreed to terms on a massive 4-year extension worth $96M — $24M per year.
The 24-year-old gets $77.5M guaranteed. The deal done by Tory Dandy of CAA makes Surtain the highest-paid DB in NFL history 💰 💰 💰 pic.twitter.com/ZU8YzmiTaj
The Chiefs' first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, McDuffie has already earned All-Pro honors last year and as a 23-year-old, should continue to get better. His versatility and ability to play both inside and out, while being a force to be reckoned with as a run defender and a blitzer, make McDuffie even more valuable than his on-field production suggests. He is impressively mistake-free for his age, amassing only four penalties in two seasons.
Pat Surtain has similarly established himself as one of the best young corners in the league but he wasn't as effective as McDuffie was in 2023. McDuffie will understandably ask for a Surtain-level deal next offseason.
Therefore, it behooves the Chiefs to get a deal done as quickly as possible. Annual salaries will only go up more as more deals to other elite corners like Sauce Gardner get done. Fortunately for the Chiefs, the team doesn't have too many big cap hits on their books starting in 2027. Chris Jones, Patrick Mahomes, and Creed Humphrey will be the only Chiefs players with significant cap hits by the time McDuffie's extension kicks in, making it a little more likely that Veach could give him the extension.
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