The Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams made a trade on Wednesday that not many saw coming.
The Chiefs traded superstar cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams for the No. 29 overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Chiefs now have two first-round picks and also landed fifth and sixth-round selections from the Rams and a 2027 third-round pick.
Los Angeles will need to reset the cornerback market for McDuffie, who has been one of the best defensive backs in the NFL and is looking for a new contract.
Earlier this offseason, Kansas City restructured franchise quarterback Patrick Mahomes again to free up cap space. The Chiefs also released veteran offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor in a move that would save nearly $20 million in cap space.
This offseason, the Chiefs have already lost McDuffie and Taylor. It’s possible that Travis Kelce retires. Even if he comes back, it’ll likely be on a team-friendly contract as his production has dipped on the back nine of his career.
The Chiefs have two first-round picks and a fair bit of cap space. The question is… what are they loading up for?
Mahomes is in his prime. That’s the good news. But Andy Reid’s offense just never felt right last year. And now Mahomes will be returning from a season-ending injury. This offseason, many included Kansas City to retool the offense, supporting Mahomes in his recovery. Instead, the Chiefs cut a Super Bowl champion offensive tackle and traded one of the best corners in the game.
With No. 9 and No. 29 overall in the NFL Draft, the Chiefs have enough ammunition to trade up. Legendary defensive tackle Chris Jones isn’t getting any younger. Could the Chiefs make a move up a few slots in the draft for a franchise EDGE like Ohio State’s Arvell Reese or Texas Tech’s David Bailey?
If the Chiefs are contemplating moving up from No. 9, maybe they’d also target Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, who could instantly be one of the best – if not the best – wide receiver on their roster. Rashee Rice is constantly in trouble, and the rest of that room is filled with question marks.
Or, the Chiefs could trade for a proven commodity.
It feels like the asking price to pry the disgruntled A.J. Brown away from the Philadelphia Eagles is a late first-round draft choice. By trading McDuffie, the Chiefs have an extra first-round pick if they wanted to trade for an established wideout.
Maxx Crosby is going to be on the move as well. And while the Las Vegas Raiders would never trade him to an AFC West rival, the idea of Crosby outside of the division should make the Chiefs feel even more confident about doubling down on their offense.
The NFL Playoffs without the Chiefs felt weird. Now, they have enough ammo to take several different routes this offseason in order to get back on that stage.
