Chiefs starter who’s at risk of being on a different team in 2026 has other players unintentionally going to bat for him
The Chiefs have loved what Trent McDuffie has brought.
The Kansas City Chiefs need to make numerous roster moves this offseason to create cap space. To fix some of the team’s flaws, they may need to cut or trade certain players.
Chiefs may have to trade Trent McDuffie
Of course, when it comes to being traded, the one player garnering the most attention is cornerback Trent McDuffie, who’s one of the best in the league. The Chiefs could trade him either to gain more draft capital—they only have six picks in this draft—or to avoid a future financial commitment, as paying him will strain their already tight cap space.
McDuffie is a great boundary corner and an elite slot corner. Last season, McDuffie didn’t play in the slot as much as he has since being in the league. In fact, he played the least amount of slot snaps he has in his career, and in the last two years, he played the most boundary snaps he has played in any two years of his career.
So, on paper, he may not have had as good a season as he did his first two years in the league. But McDuffie is largely responsible for some of the positives in the secondary over the years, especially with the young guys. McDuffie is more important than what we see on the field.
“Trent McDuffie is a guy you would want to model your game after,” Kevin Knowles said on the Chief Concerns Podcast. “Trent could pop it every day, but he decides to remain humble, stay down, put his head down, and work. Whether it’s us doing everyday drills, he’s going to show you how to do it and let you know, ‘Alright, let’s pick it up a little bit.’ Trent paved the way for a lot of people in that (cornerback) room. A lot of younger guys have eyes on him. Me and Nohl Williams — Trent is doing this, we gotta do this. Every day is about the ball for him.”
Now, going into the 2026 season, there is a possibility that Kristian Fulton and Nohl Williams are the starting boundary corners, while Kevin Knowles or Chris Roland Wallace is the starting nickel. It’s a cheap but serviceable starting unit to save Kansas City money, also with some development options. Williams could develop into an amazing cornerback, while Knowles and Wallace have shown some flashes of great slot play.
The Chiefs will miss everything McDuffie brings to the table, but we all knew tough decisions would be made. This is what happens when you win so much and draft so well over the years.
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