Mar 09, 2026 - 01:15
By espn.com

Sources: Trent McDuffie, Rams reach 4-year, $124M extension - ESPN

LOS ANGELES — The Rams and star cornerback Trent McDuffie reached agreement Sunday on a record four-year, $124 million extension that includes $100 million guaranteed, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The new contract makes the McDuffie, 25, the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.

Last Wednesday, the Rams agreed to acquire McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs for a package of picks that includes the No. 29 selection in the 2026 NFL draft. Both the trade and the deal can become official Wednesday at the start of the new league year.

McDuffie was entering the final season of his rookie deal. Last April, the Chiefs exercised his fifth-year option, making his 2026 salary of $13.6 million fully guaranteed.

He now will make much more than that thanks to a deal that averages out to $31 million annually. That surpasses the Colts' Sauce Gardner ($30.1 million) and the Texans' Derek Stingley Jr. ($30 million) for highest among NFL cornerbacks.

Cornerback was a top need for the Rams entering free agency and the draft, as they had four pending free agents at the position. Cornerback Darious Williams also announced his retirement Saturday.

Along with pick No. 29, the Chiefs will receive 2026 fifth- and sixth-round selections and a 2027 third-rounder as part of the trade, sources previously told Schefter. The Rams still have one first-round pick (No. 13) after trading back with the Atlanta Falcons during the 2025 draft.

McDuffie is from Southern California and played his senior year of high school at St. John Bosco