Jamie Squire/Getty

ST JOSEPH, MISSOURI – AUGUST 06: Trent McDuffie #22 walks to the field during Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp at Missouri Western State University on August 06, 2025 in St Joseph, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

“I love being a Chief. I know the contract stuff will come,” said Kansas City Chiefs CB Trent McDuffie back in July. At the time, he and the organization were working hard towards a contract extension that would keep him in Kansas City for years to come.

Well, he’s going to have to wait a little longer now. According to an ESPN report, McDuffie and the Chiefs will not reach an agreement on a contract before the season starts. The Chiefs play the Los Angeles Chargers on Friday in Sao Paulo, the second game of the 2025 NFL season. When he takes the field, McDuffie will still be playing on his rookie contract.

“Moving forward now, really, it’s just about the season and about [Friday’s] game,” McDuffie said. “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 was a first-round pick out of Washington back in 2022. The Chiefs’ other first-round pick that year, ED George Karlaftis, signed a four-year, $93 million extension with $62 million guaranteed back in July.

Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach on What McDuffie Means to the Organization

Chris Graythen/GettyNEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – FEBRUARY 09: DeVonta Smith #6 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs with the ball while being chased by Nick Bolton #32 and Trent McDuffie #22 of the Kansas City Chiefs in the first quarter during Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome on February 09, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

“We definitely have had dialogue. He’s a guy that’s obviously a special player,” Veach said last week. “We’re going to continue that dialogue, and hopefully something gets worked out. I think things have been good. Trent [McDuffie] is obviously going to be a priority.”

Veach invested a lot in McDuffie when he drafted him in 2022. The Chiefs were armed with two first-round picks that year after trading WR Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins. They sent the New England Patriots one of those first-rounders (No. 29) along with a third-round pick and a fourth-rounder to jump up to No. 21 and select McDuffie. With their other first-round pick, No. 30, they took Karlaftis.

Trent McDuffie is One of the Best Cornerbacks in the NFL

After playing rotationally and dealing with injuries as a rookie, McDuffie stepped into the starting lineup in 2023 and hasn’t looked back. He had 80 tackles, seven passes defensed, five forced fumbles, and three sacks in 2023, following that up with 59 tackles, two interceptions, 13 passes defensed, a forced fumble, and a sack in 2024.

McDuffie was named first-team All-Pro in both seasons, a remarkable feat for a player so young in their career. He’s one of the elite cornerbacks in the league, paying off Veach’s investment in him and then some.

Even as the defensive personnel has changed around him, McDuffie’s ability to lock down one half of the field is a big reason why the Chiefs’ defense has been so dominant in recent years. Kansas City has played in a Super Bowl all three years of McDuffie’s career, and that’s not a coincidence.

Ethan Woodie is an accomplished sports writer specializing in the NFL and college football for Heavy.com. He’s written for Heavy since 2025 and has years of experience writing for NFL Trade Rumors and Pro Football Focus (PFF). Woodie is an expert in draft scouting and his final 2025 Big Board was included in Arif Hasan’s media consensus board for Wide Left. More about Ethan Woodie