Rams-Chiefs Trade Grades: Star CB Will Maximize Matthew Stafford’s Window

Kansas City now has two picks in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft after moving two-time All-Pro Trent McDuffie for four draft picks.

Kansas City traded cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Rams for four draft picks, including L.A.'s No. 29 selection. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Patrick Mahomes said, “Damn,” and the Rams said, “F them picks.” 

As for another reaction, the football public might have said, “Whoa!” after seeing the number of picks Los Angeles sent to Kansas City in exchange for versatile cornerback Trent McDuffie.  

Damn..

— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) March 4, 2026

On Wednesday, the Rams returned to their aggressive ways for acquiring star players, reportedly relinquishing 2026 first-, fifth- and sixth-round picks and a 2027 third-round pick for the services of McDuffie, who won two Super Bowls and made two All-Pro teams during his four years with the Chiefs. 

The last time L.A. was this aggressive for a star cornerback was in 2019, when the team sent two first-round picks to the Jaguars for Jalen Ramsey. It was a steep price, but Ramsey and the Rams eventually won the Super Bowl three years later. 

However, this Rams group may not have much time to maximize this latest blockbuster trade, with Matthew Stafford entering his age-38 season. 

Let’s assess whether the Rams made the wise move to go all in for McDuffie and where this leaves the Chiefs after moving on from a key core player. Here are trade grades for both teams.

Rams go all in to maximize Stafford’s 18th NFL season 

The McDuffie trade is reminiscent of the Ramsey trade, considering how much the Rams gave up to acquire the talented cornerback. But a prime McDuffie isn’t exactly a prime Ramsey. 

Ramsey was the league’s clear No. 1 shutdown corner at the time. McDuffie isn’t that and has struggled at times playing on the outside. But McDuffie did hold his own when the Chiefs traded L’Jarius Sneed to the Titans in 2024 and received second-team All-Pro honors as an outside corner that season. However, McDuffie is better suited to play on the inside—he made first-team All-Pro in 2023 while mostly playing as a slot cornerback. 

While the Rams didn’t give up two first-round picks, throwing in a third-round pick in 2027 made this a steep price. But the picks won’t matter if the Rams win the Super Bowl this year to maximize this window they have created with Stafford in the late stage of his career. 

The team had to be aggressive to secure the best available cornerback, as the sluggish secondary held this team back last season. Stafford won MVP, but he had to be elite in almost every game to give his team a chance to win due to a suspect defense. For comparison, Sam Darnold didn’t play up to the level of Stafford, but he had a dominant defense and had plenty of help en route to winning Super Bowl LX. 

Rams GM Les Snead could no longer be frugal with his defense because his young pass rushers didn’t do enough to assist the weak spots in the back end of the defense. That’s where McDuffie’s versatility comes in. If edge rushers Jared Verse and Byron Young aren’t getting to the quarterback in time, McDuffie can help at multiple spots in the secondary. Defensive coordinator Chris Shula now has a chess piece, and he can do more with his talented safeties, who were constantly asked to help the cornerbacks last season.

This was a necessary trade for the Rams to escape the daunting NFC West and win the Super Bowl after coming up short in the NFC title game against the rival Seahawks. 

But soon the Rams will have to give McDuffie a lucrative contract, make Puka Nacua the highest-paid receiver and give Stafford a pay raise after his MVP 2025 season. But paying star players and giving up picks won’t matter if Los Angeles wins the Super Bowl, which will be played at the Rams’ home, SoFi Stadium, next year. 

Grade: B

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford won his first league MVP in 2025. | David Banks-Imagn Images

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The Chiefs could be preparing for a reset year 

Last season, the Chiefs didn’t expect to be 6–11. But it won’t be surprising if they endure another losing season based on the circumstances they’re facing this offseason. 

The Chiefs couldn’t afford to keep McDuffie due to their limited cap space. As for other problems, it’s not a given that Mahomes will return in time for the season opener after sustaining a significant knee injury in December, and there’s still the possibility of Travis Kelce retiring or not being re-signed for an age-37 season. 

With that in mind, going the quick-fix route doesn’t make much sense for this team. Additionally, there’s no need for urgency after this group advanced to five Super Bowls in six seasons. It’s not exactly the same situation, but the Rams endured a losing season after winning the Super Bowl in the 2021 season, changing their roster-building philosophy to create another Super Bowl window. 

But the Chiefs don’t need comparisons to know teams need to evolve in the NFL. They continued winning at a high rate after trading Tyreek Hill and relying on the draft to build a stellar defense, which is why this team landed McDuffie in the first place.

It seems Kansas City is making the wise decision of focusing on repairing the salary cap and accumulating as many draft picks as possible. The Chiefs don’t have the look of a Super Bowl contender, but they could be back in the mix sooner rather than later if GM Brett Veach and coach Andy Reid hit on the draft picks they gained from the Rams. 

Grade: A

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