Chiefs top CB Trent McDuffie not expected to sign contract extension ahead of 2025 season, per report

Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie will enter the 2025 season still in search of a long-term contract extension, according to ESPN, as the one-time All-Pro defender and the team are not expected to come to an agreement before Friday's opener against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chiefs picked up their fifth-year option for McDuffie in April to keep him in town through 2026, but he is set to play at a massive bargain for the next two seasons.

In the months since they picked up the option, the Chiefs have been working towards a multiyear deal with their top cornerback. But with less than a week remaining until the campaign opens, McDuffie said he expects to remain on his rookie contract for potentially the entire year.

"Moving forward now, really, it's just about the season and about [Friday's] game," McDuffie said on Sunday. "I'm not too worried about the contract. That can just happen in the [next] offseason. Let's just go out there and have a great year."

McDuffie will earn just over $2.6 million this year, which pales in comparison to the salaries of the NFL's most talented cornerbacks. That figure increases significantly next year to $13.6 million with the team option, but even that will make McDuffie one of the most modest earners among No. 1 cornerbacks.

If he signs an extension, McDuffie could reasonably become one of the highest-paid corners in league history; a deal this offseason would have needed to be larger than New York Jets star Sauce Gardner's contract, per ESPN. Gardner inked in July a historic four-year, $120.4 million deal with more than $85 million guaranteed.

"We definitely have had dialogue," Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said last week. "He's a guy that's obviously a special player. We're going to continue that dialogue, and hopefully something gets worked out. I think things have been good. Trent is obviously going to be a priority."

It took hardly any time at all for McDuffie to flourish as one of the best pass defenders in the NFL. The 2022 first-round pick out of Washington has started every game for which he was healthy across the first three years of his career and earned a first-team All-Pro nod in his second season. He was a second-team selection in 2024.

McDuffie finally hauled in his first career interception last season -- two of them, in fact -- to add to a statistical ledger that is already quite impressive. He has 27 career passes defended, seven forced fumbles and 10 tackles for loss, including 4.5 sacks. McDuffie has also been a key cog in Kansas City's postseason efforts and was integral in winning back-to-back Super Bowls in 2022 and 2023.