Los Angeles Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie is nearing a record-breaking contract extension worth $124 million over four years. The deal would make the former Kansas City Chiefs player the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Rams are on the verge of finalizing a landmark contract extension with cornerback Trent McDuffie that would establish him as the NFL’s highest-paid player at his position, according to a source familiar with the negotiations who spoke to The Associated Press.
The source requested anonymity Sunday evening as the agreement has not yet been completed. The Rams remain unable to officially announce they have even obtained McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs through a trade involving multiple draft selections that was agreed upon last Wednesday.
According to ESPN’s reporting, the extension spans four years and totals $124 million, with $100 million in guaranteed money.
McDuffie is currently earning $13.6 million during the fifth year of his rookie deal in 2026, but the new extension would secure his services with his native Los Angeles team until 2030.
Once completed, Los Angeles will again boast the league’s top-paid cornerback, a distinction previously held when Jalen Ramsey signed his five-year, $105 million extension with the Rams in 2020.
Following their heartbreaking loss just one victory away from the Super Bowl last season, the Rams have made a bold move to shore up their most significant roster deficiency by securing one of the league’s elite cornerbacks and backing it up with substantial financial investment. Los Angeles possesses the cap space necessary for such a major commitment after operating one of the NFL’s most economical defenses last season.
That defensive unit struggled during the final stretch of regular season play and throughout the postseason, but McDuffie will serve as the foundation of its transformation this fall. The Rams have also locked up safeties Quentin Lake and Kam Curl with recent extensions, and the organization appears poised to bring in at least one additional defensive back to complement likely returning players Emmanuel Forbes and Kamren Kinchens.
Los Angeles captured the Super Bowl championship four years ago with Ramsey operating in a flexible capacity — what the Rams call the “star” position — throughout their defensive scheme. Lake currently handles that responsibility for the Rams, functioning both as a slot corner and a physical defensive back near the line of scrimmage — but McDuffie’s addition will provide even greater versatility to the Rams’ defensive approach.
McDuffie brings dual capabilities as both a coverage specialist and a physical presence. Throughout his career, he has recorded three interceptions and 5 1/2 sacks while pacing all cornerbacks with 34 quarterback pressures and eight forced fumbles across his four NFL campaigns. He earned first-team AP All-Pro recognition in 2023 and second-team honors in 2024.
The Rams surrendered the 29th overall selection in the upcoming draft — while retaining the 13th overall pick acquired from Atlanta — plus fifth-round and sixth-round choices this season and a third-round selection next year in the Kansas City trade.
McDuffie grew up in the Los Angeles area, completing his high school career at prestigious St. John Bosco High School before attending the University of Washington, where he played under current Rams defensive backs coach Jimmy Lake.