Four days after a trade that sent him from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Los Angeles Rams, Trent McDuffie locked in even more certainty about his future.
McDuffie and the Rams on Sunday agreed to a four-year, $124 million contract extension, according to multiple reports, making the cornerback the highest-paid player at his position in league history.
His $31 million in average annual value rockets past the previous high of $30.1 million, which was set by Sauce Gardner last summer, when the Indianapolis Colts cornerback was still with the New York Jets.
McDuffie’s deal also includes $100 million guaranteed, per reports – more than $10 million higher than the next closest player in the Houston Texans’ Derek Stingley Jr. ($89 million).
The Rams sent a package of four draft picks – including the No. 29 overall selection this year – to the Chiefs in exchange for McDuffie. The swap can not become official until the start of the new league year on Wednesday.
McDuffie, an All-Pro selection in 2023, had widely been expected to strike an extension with the Rams after news of the trade broke. The 2022 first-round pick had been set to play on his fifth-year option for $13.63 million.
In Los Angeles, McDuffie will be counted on to shore up the most glaring weakness for a team that general manager Les Snead is trying to make the most of its remaining time with reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford. Los Angeles’ pass defense unraveled down the stretch, and the defense finished the year ranked 22nd in passing yards allowed per game (225.6).