Inside The Huskies

Former Husky Defensive Backs Continue to Cash In As NFL Stalwarts

Four one-time UW defenders recently have received huge contract extensions.
Dan Raley|
Former Huskies Trent McDuffie of the Kansas City Chiefs and Rome Odunze of the Chicago Bears share an NFL moment.
Former Huskies Trent McDuffie of the Kansas City Chiefs and Rome Odunze of the Chicago Bears share an NFL moment. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

At the University of Washington, they apparently teach their defensive backs about interceptions, pass break-ups and bank deposits, all at once.

For the fourth time in three months, the Huskies have had one of their secondary graduates become a very wealthy man with an NFL contract extension.

They weren't doing too bad once they got drafted and signed, yet former UW Trent McDuffie, Kyler Gordon, Byron Murphy and Elijah Molden each have greatly multiplied their net worth with new contract deals.

Add it all up, and this foursome will share in $140 million as they sign second contracts or have options exercised.

It's DBU doing a BBU -- break-the-bank university.

The Kansas City Chiefs have revealed they will pick up a fifth-year option on McDuffie's original contract that will pay him $13.6 million in 2026 and fully guarantee him $16.25 million over the next two years.

The Huskies naturally are using this as a selling point to prospective recruits considering coming to Montlake. The cash register continues to ring up UW transactions.

Ca-ching.

"It just lets you know it's not a mantra or a slogan about DBU, it is DBU," Husky secondary coach John Richardson said. "That's the best way I can describe it. When those guys are the highest paid at their position, it just backs up what we're talking about. It's DBU and we're going to stand on it."

In February, cornerback Elijah Molden, even while still recovering from a season-ending broken fibula bone in his leg, received a 3-year $18.2 million extension from the Los Angeles Chargers. 

In March, cornerback Byron Murphy earned the biggest payday of all of these one-time Huskies by accepting a 3-year, $66 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings.

In April, slot cornerback Kyler Gordon became the latest member of the UW's collection of extraordinarily talented secondary players to cash in on his skills after reaching agreement on a three-year, $40 million contract extension. 

Gordon, Molden and Murphy played together in Montlake in 2018 and the following year McDuffie joined the group while Murphy passed up his final two seasons of Husky eligibility and entered the NFL Draft.

McDuffie, 24, was drafted 21st overall in the 2022 draft and immediately went to work. The All-Pro cornerback has played in three Super Bowls (winning twice), started 43 games and collected two interceptions, seven forced fumbles, 4.5 sacks and 183 tackles.

Pay the man.

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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