While the Chiefs are confident they can fill the hole left by the departure of the 2023 All-Pro and two-time Super Bowl champion, the Rams are clearly just as confident McDuffie can be a defensive lynchpin for a push to a Lombardi Trophy.
McDuffie, a 2022 first-rounder, is set to play 2026 on a fifth-year rookie option for $13.63 million.
Currently, three corners (the Indianapolis Colts’ Sauce Gardner, the Cleveland Browns’ Denzel Ward and the Carolina Panthers’ Jaycee Horn) have total value deals of $100 million or more. Gardner is the clubhouse leader in average per year at $30.1 million, while Houston Texans’ Derek Stingley Jr. is second at an even $30 million.
McDuffie’s seemingly close to reaching that rarefied air, underscoring why the Chiefs felt they couldn’t afford to keep him and why the Rams believe so strongly he is such a valuable addition.