Days after acquiring him in a blockbuster trade with the Kansas City Chiefs, the Los Angeles Rams and Trent McDuffie are trending toward a massive extension.
Significant progress has been made between the parties with a deal that is expected to make McDuffie the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL at more than $30 million per season, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported Sunday.
The two sides have gone back and forth and are now within striking distance of an agreement, Rapoport noted.
Rapoport reported Wednesday that the Chiefs were sending McDuffie to the Rams in exchange for a four-draft pick haul, including the No. 26 overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft.
While the Chiefs are confident they can fill the hole left by the departure of the 2023 All-Pro and two-time Super Bowl champion, the Rams are clearly just as confident McDuffie can be a defensive lynchpin for a push to a Lombardi Trophy.
McDuffie, a 2022 first-rounder, is set to play 2026 on a fifth-year rookie option for $13.63 million.
Currently, three corners (the Indianapolis Colts' Sauce Gardner, the Cleveland Browns' Denzel Ward and the Carolina Panthers' Jaycee Horn) have total value deals of $100 million or more. Gardner is the clubhouse leader in average per year at $30.1 million, while Houston Texans' Derek Stingley Jr. is second at an even $30 million.
McDuffie's seemingly close to reaching that rarefied air, underscoring why the Chiefs felt they couldn't afford to keep him and why the Rams believe so strongly he is such a valuable addition.
