KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Within minutes of the Kansas City Chiefs‘ first seismic transfer this offseason — a commerce that despatched cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams — a number of gamers Wednesday expressed emotional reactions. On their X accounts, receiver Xavier Worthy, defensive finish Charles Omenihu and fellow cornerback Jaylen Watson every shared their disappointment in studying that McDuffie, the Chiefs’ second-best defender behind move rusher Chris Jones, would not be their teammate.
Even quarterback Patrick Mahomes chimed in on X, summarizing his ideas with a single phrase.
“Damn.”
Inside the Chiefs’ coaching facility, a group supply with data of the scenario stated coach Andy Reid, basic supervisor Brett Veach and longtime defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo felt just like these gamers about buying and selling McDuffie — a two-time All-Pro — to the Rams in change, sources instructed Adam Schefter, for a bundle of 4 draft picks, together with the No. 29 general choice within the 2026 NFL draft. As a part of the commerce, the Chiefs will obtain 2026 fifth- and sixth-round picks and a 2027 third-round choose.
According to a group supply with data of the method, the commerce was one of the crucial tough selections in Veach’s tenure, which started in 2017. But in the end, the Chiefs deemed that it was extra essential to revamp and reload their roster to stay Super Bowl contenders than signal McDuffie to an extension that would’ve probably made him the highest-paid cornerback in league historical past. The final time Veach and Reid made such a choice was 4 years in the past, when the Chiefs made one other blockbuster deal, sending receiver Tyreek Hill, a three-time All-Pro on the time, to the Miami Dolphins in change for 5 draft picks.
With two-first spherical picks, the Chiefs hope to perform the identical feat they executed in 2022, the lone time prior to now 15 years during which the franchise made a number of picks in the course of the draft’s opening night time.
McDuffie was the primary draft choice — and the best draft choose of Veach’s tenure — within the group’s pivotal 2022 class. The second first-round choose was used to accumulate defensive finish George Karlaftis, who final summer time turned the primary member of the category to signal a second contract with the group. The 2022 draft class — additionally that includes Watson, operating again Isiah Pacheco, security Bryan Cook and linebacker Leo Chenal — helped the Chiefs additional set up themselves because the NFL’s most up-to-date dynasty. With their assist, the Chiefs gained back-to-back Super Bowls and reached the championship recreation once more in 2024, changing into the primary repeat champion to succeed in the Super Bowl for a 3rd consecutive time.
When Wednesday started, Reid and Veach knew the Chiefs nonetheless had loads of different positions on the roster they wanted to deal with this offseason — move rusher, operating again, receiver, security and linebacker. The Chiefs additionally felt they wanted extra draft capital, too, since they’d simply six picks previous to buying and selling McDuffie. That similar set of things in 2022 led to the Chiefs buying and selling Hill for them to have 12 picks coming into that yr’s draft.
“The last few years, we were kind of just, like, in a maintenance stage,” Veach stated final week on the mix. “Now we’re trying to rebuild this thing again. I think for a GM and a personnel staff, that’s exciting.”
Another profit to Veach and Reid within the aftermath of the McDuffie commerce is that the Chiefs nonetheless have 49 days to arrange and construct their technique for the draft.
As a part of the plan to interchange McDuffie, the Chiefs may use the No. twenty ninth choose to pick one of many prime cornerbacks on this yr’s class of prospects. With the assistance of Spagnuolo and defensive backs coach Dave Merritt, the Chiefs have developed a number of cornerbacks who Veach recognized and bought within the draft — comparable to McDuffie, Watson, L’Jarius Sneed, Nohl Williams, Joshua Williams and Rashad Fenton.
Reacting to the commerce, ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid had the Chiefs in his mock draft Wednesday choosing Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy with the twenty ninth choose. Such an acquisition could be one during which Veach may see McCoy changing into a major contributor for Spagnuolo for a number of years regardless of him lacking all of final season after sustaining a torn ACL in January 2025. Other prime cornerback prospects are Mansoor Delane (LSU), Avieon Terrell (Clemson), Colton Hood (Tennessee), Brandon Cisse (South Carolina) and Chris Johnson (San Diego State).
Throughout his tenure, Veach has by no means signed a cornerback who performed for the Chiefs on their rookie deal to a second contract. In truth, the final time the Chiefs signed a defensive again they drafted to a second contract was in 2017 with security Eric Berry.
Wednesday proved to be the third time in seven years the Chiefs have traded a prime cornerback as a substitute of signing them to a big extension. In 2024, the Chiefs traded Sneed to the Tennessee Titans. Sneed later signed a four-year, $76.4 million contract with the Titans. Marcus Peters, coming into the fourth yr of his profession, was traded to the Rams in 2018. Peters signed a three-year, $42 million contract extension with the Baltimore Ravens in 2019.
McDuffie’s scenario wasn’t a lot completely different. Sources instructed Schefter that McDuffie, who’s coming into the ultimate yr of his rookie deal, is predicted to signal a long-term extension with the Rams that surpasses the record-setting contract cornerback Sauce Gardner signed in July (four-years, $120.4 million) with the Jets, earlier than he was traded to the Colts. As a two-time All-Pro, Gardner’s deal included $85.653 million assured. According to league sources, the Chiefs knew previous to the beginning of final season that signing McDuffie to an extension would require exceeding the phrases of Gardner’s contract.
In the absence of getting to pay McDuffie, the Chiefs have additional opened the door at no cost agent signings to bolster the roster as properly.
When the offseason started, the Chiefs have been greater than $57 million over the cap. By buying and selling McDuffie, the Chiefs saved $13.6 million in opposition to the wage cap. Earlier this offseason, the Chiefs launched proper deal with Jawaan Taylor and defensive finish Mike Danna in cap-trimming strikes. The group additionally restructured Mahomes’ contract final month. The Chiefs can create much more cap area — having greater than $50 million obtainable to them subsequent week when free company begins — by releasing linebacker Drue Tranquill and tight finish Noah Gray whereas restructuring Jones’ contract.
“We have $60 million in convertible contracts,” Veach stated. “We have many different ways to attack this, and I think that’s the one thing we’ve been good at. We don’t do a lot of money-push-down-the-future-years. We run a pretty tight ship there. This gives us flexibility to do different things. We’ll see how the [free agency] scenarios shake out.”
That more money will probably be directed at two key positions: operating again and move rusher.
Last yr, Pacheco, the beginning operating again, did not have a single carry of 20 or extra yards. Fellow operating again Kareem Hunt had one. The Chiefs are anticipated to focus on signing one of many prime operating again choices, candidates comparable to Kenneth Walker III (Seattle Seahawks), Travis Etienne Jr. (Jacksonville Jaguars) and Tyler Allgeier (Atlanta Falcons).
On line of defense, the Chiefs may goal gamers comparable to defensive ends Boye Mafe (Seahawks), Bradley Chubb (Dolphins), Jaelan Phillips (Philadelphia Eagles), Kwity Paye (Indianapolis Colts) and defensive deal with John Franklin-Myers (Denver Broncos).
Like in 2022, the significance of profiting from the alternatives Kansas City is creating for itself this offseason shouldn’t be misplaced on Veach. Their future success on the sector may rely on it.
“We know we have to execute an efficient game plan in free agency and then we’ve got to nail these picks,” Veach stated final week. “That’ll be important for us to keep this run going.”
