Reasons to Believe Trent McDuffie Trade is Inevitable for Chiefs

Now that the 2025 NFL season is officially over, it is time for teams around the league to recalibrate and conduct a self-evaluation on their success from this past season. In recent years, the Kansas City Chiefs have gone through this process with an aggressive mindset, following an incredible postseason run.

Unfortunately, the Chiefs didn't even participate in the playoffs, finishing with a 6-11 record, which included going 1-9 in one-score games. Losing Patrick Mahomes to a torn ACL added insult to injury, no pun intended, to how the season unfolded.

Dec 14, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) is attended to by team medical staff following an injury during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, second from right, stands on the sideline Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Kansas City's struggles and glaring red flags in 2025 alter the focus and urgency heading into the offseason. The Chiefs' financial and draft capital are in rough shape, which adds more pressure on the front office. Obviously, there are several storylines surrounding Kansas City in the coming weeks and months, but one that could be dominating headlines is what the team decides to do with All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie.

There has been plenty of speculation pertaining to the Chiefs potentially trading the 25-year-old cornerback, and we are going to discuss why that is an inevitable outcome. Here are a couple of reasons to expect a deal to transpire in the near future.

Lack of Noise

Dec 7, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) warms up prior to the game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amy Kontras-Imagn Images | Amy Kontras-Imagn Images

While everyone on the outside has been suspecting a potential trade, there has been a hushed silence in the Chiefs' building in this specific situation. There have been no leaks of an extension or trade discussions with other teams.

The 2022 first-round pick is entering the final year of his rookie deal, which comes with a fully guaranteed $13.6 million cap hit in 2026. The fact that there have been no murmurs of a long-term extension in place tells you all you need to know.

Additionally, the lack of reports about a trade is reminiscent of how general manager Brett Veach handled the L'Jarius Sneed-Tennessee Titans trade. For weeks, people were expecting the star cornerback to be traded, but there were no concrete reports of that in the developing stage. Then, out of the blue, Kansas City moved the veteran cornerback back for a couple of draft picks.

McDuffie appears to be facing the same fate and will most likely be dealt ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, especially with a couple of cornerback-needy teams holding two first-round picks.

Chiefs Need to Clear Up Cap Space

Dec 7, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (12) catches a pass against Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) during the first quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

While losing McDuffie would be a major loss for the defense, moving the star cornerback is the easiest path to clearing up cap space while recouping premium draft capital in return. Most of the time, teams open up cap space by releasing a player, and while that allows the team to spend that money elsewhere, it does not offer an opportunity to improve the roster with young and cheap assets.

Kansas City can supply itself with both cap flexibility and additional draft picks by moving McDuffie this offseason to a team that is in desperate need of a cornerback.

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