Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach shares latest update on CB Trent McDuffie contract extension talks
Brett Veach is set to meet with Chiefs CB Trent McDuffie’s agents at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indy.
The Kansas City Chiefs could soon have clarity on the future of one of their top defensive players. Speaking to media members at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, Chiefs GM Brett Veach provided an update on talks with star CB Trent McDuffie.
A former first-round pick out of Washington in the 2022 NFL Draft, Kansas City picked up McDuffie’s fifth-year option in 2025, along with the fifth-year option for George Karlaftis. While Karlaftis saw his contract extended before the season, McDuffie entered the 2025 NFL season playing out the final year of his rookie deal with a fifth-year option to look forward to in 2026. Under the fifth-year option for 2026, McDuffie will make a fully-guaranteed $13.6 million. That number has put him on the radar as an extension candidate, but he’s also seen as having trade value for a team looking to retool its roster.
So what will it be? A long-term contract extension for an All-Pro cornerback or a trade that ships him off for draft picks and players? The team should know more about McDuffie’s future as of Wednesday, Feb. 25.
Brett Veach says Chiefs aim to keep CB Trent McDuffie long term
The Chiefs meet with most of their players’ representatives in some capacity during NFL Combine week each year. That’s especially true for players due for a contract extension. It should come as no surprise that Brett Veach and his team will meet with McDuffie’s representatives at CAA Football on Wednesday to see if they can reach an agreement to keep him in Kansas City long term.
“Yeah. I mean, we’ve had a lot of dialogue with Trent (McDuffie) last spring, last summer, and you know, he’s first out of the gate, I think, tomorrow,” Veach said. “So looking forward to getting with him. And, obviously, Trent is a great player, and we’ll see what we can do there. But certainly would love to have Trent back, and for the long term.”
McDuffie, 25, was placed on season-ending injured reserve in December after suffering a knee injury in Week 14 against the Houston Texans. He had back-to-back seasons of starting every possible game for Kansas City before starting in just 13 games in 2025. He finished the 2025 NFL season with 63 total tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, seven passes defended, one interception, and one forced fumble.
Colts CB Sauce Gardner currently has the market-leading deal at the cornerback position, averaging $30.1 million per year. The Chiefs’ goal in this situation should be to secure a fair contract for their No. 1 corner, while also lowering his Year 1 salary cap hit. If the two sides cannot reach a long-term agreement, that’s when things could get tricky, with potential contract holdouts and trade scenarios.
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