Patrick Mahomes found out quickly about the trade that sent cornerback Trent McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Los Angeles Rams on Wednesday. With his teammate leaving, the quarterback had only one word to share.
āDamn..,ā Mahomes wrote on his X account, only a few minutes after the news went viral. McDuffie and Mahomes had been teammates since 2022, when the Chiefs selected the cornerback 21st overall in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
They celebrated two Super Bowl victories together (LVII, LVIII), which makes this breakup sad for the team. However, the Chiefsā cap space in 2026 is tight, and after a rough 2025 season, getting draft picks in return was necessary to rebuild fast.
Chiefs get much-needed draft capital from Rams for McDuffie
Kansas City is reportedly receiving a total of four draft picks from Los Angeles. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Chiefs are getting No. 29, a 5th, and a 6th rounder in 2026 apart from a 2027 3rd.
Trent McDuffie is leaving the Chiefs after four years (2022-2025).
With the No. 29 adding to their No. 9 pick in the first round, the Chiefs now have enough draft capital to retool their roster after missing the playoffs last year. Letting McDuffie go was a tough, but perhaps necessary move.
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Chiefs had to make tough decision on McDuffie
McDuffie played a key role in the Chiefsā defense during the last four seasons, recording 246 total tackles, 5.5 sacks, 8 forced fumbles, 34 pass deflections, and three interceptions during his time at Arrowhead. In 2023, he was a first-team All-Pro.
However, the Chiefs had their backs against the wall with McDuffie entering the final year of his rookie deal and commanding an extension they probably couldnāt afford due to their salary cap situation. In fact, Kansas City had to restructure Mahomesā deal earlier this offseason to get more wiggle room in 2026.
Chiefs confident trading McDuffie could be worth it
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN and Jordan Schultz of FOX explained that the reason why the Chiefs accepted to surrender McDuffie has to do with their confidence in their ability to draft and develop talent, especially at cornerback, apart from their need to free up cap space.
This deal is reminiscent of the trade that sent Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins back in 2022, when the Chiefs traded away a player in his prime to rebuild for the future. That move paid off, as even without Cheetah, Mahomes went on to make three more Super Bowls, winning two of them (both with McDuffie). Only time will tell whether the McDuffie trade leads to similar results for Kansas City.
