Grading Proposed Chiefs Trade That Sends Out Two-Time All-Pro McDuffie

After finishing 6-11 in the 2025 NFL season, the Kansas City Chiefs know that they'll have to do some major work this offseason to get this roster back to Super Bowl contention.

Even when Patrick Mahomes was healthy this year, they went just 6-8 in games with him under center. General Manager Brett Veach has to overhaul this team to ensure that the Chiefs are ready to compete for another title once his franchise quarterback is available again.

Unfortunately, KC doesn't have much room to operate. It'll have six picks in the first five rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft, including the ninth-overall selection, but Veach will have to hit on almost all of them to get this team where it needs to be next season.

Outside of the draft, he has some heavy financial finagling to do just to get the Chiefs under the 2026 salary cap. Kansas City can essentially forget about the prospects of signing a major free agent this offseason. Due to the team's limited resources, Veach might have to get creative on the trade wire if he wants to significantly improve this roster.

Kansas City Chiefs, NFL, Baltimore Ravens, Trent McDuffie — Sep 28, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) takes the field prior to a game against the Baltimore Ravens at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

This isn't the way to go for the Chiefs

ESPN's Bill Barnwell concocted a handful of mock trades that he believed would be beneficial for both teams involved. For the Kansas City Chiefs, he predicted that they would move off Trent McDuffie in exchange for some draft capital, proposing that KC send their two-time All-Pro cornerback along with a 2026 fifth-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams for one of their two selections in the first round:

"Why would the Chiefs, who also expect to compete for a Super Bowl, trade McDuffie? Well, Brett Veach hasn't been too interested in paying cornerbacks during his time as general manager. The Chiefs traded Peters after three seasons, one year removed from a first-team All-Pro nod. They developed L'Jarius Sneed into a standout, but at the end of his rookie deal, they franchise-tagged him and traded him to the Titans for a third-round pick."

When L'Jarius Sneed had a career best season and was in line for an extension, we heard NOTHING from the Chiefs until we learned that they tagged and inevitably traded him.

Trent McDuffie is a 2x ALL-PRO and is in line for an extension...and we've heard NOTHING from the Chiefs.… pic.twitter.com/80IycyoxPc
— 🗣🎙‼️ (@LanceTHESPOKEN) February 10, 2026

"McDuffie is better than Peters or Sneed, but if the Chiefs aren't planning on extending their top corner, getting something significant for him now makes more sense than losing him in free agency for nothing more than a 2028 compensatory pick. In acquiring the No. 29 selection, the Chiefs would have three of the top-40 picks in this year's draft, which would give them the ability to add multiple rookie contributors and/or move around for specific players."

While loading up on draft picks and subsequently young talent is a good approach for a team like the Chiefs — one that has established pieces in place and should be contending but needs an infusion of difference-makers — sacrificing a key piece like McDuffie isn't the way to do it. He himself is only 25 years old, is already one of the top cornerbacks in the league, and is under contract through 2026. If KC can't free up the money to extend or re-sign him, then so be it, but they can cross that road when they get there. Sending him and a fifth-round pick for a late first would be a massive loss for the Chiefs.

Grade: C-

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