Chiefs shared new plan for star player in his exit interview. He’s all for it
Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie says the 2025 NFL season should have a different look for him.
And KC’s coaches have told him as much.
Just a few days after the Chiefs’ 40-22 Super Bowl loss to the Eagles, McDuffie met with defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and defensive backs coach Dave Merritt for a season exit interview.
Their message to the two-time All-Pro selection? We’d like to move you around more.
“They talked about that, wanting to put me back at inside (cornerback), certain situations, things like that,” McDuffie said during an interview with reporters Monday. “Just allow me to influence the game a little bit more in there, a little bit more blitzing.”
McDuffie, entering his fourth pro season, has previously shown himself to be an outstanding situational pass-rusher, which included batting down a pass on one of the biggest plays in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVIII victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
Last year, though, KC couldn’t put him in place to do that as much. Following L’Jarius Sneed’s trade to the Tennessee Titans, McDuffie became the Chiefs’ top corner while primarily playing on the outside.
With that, his role underwent a significant change.
Pro Football Focus’ logs provide the evidence. During the 2023 season, McDuffie played 608 snaps on the inside at slot corner, compared to 368 on the outside.
Without Sneed last year, those numbers reversed — and even went beyond that. McDuffie played 953 outside corner snaps, compared to 152 plays in the slot. He also had just three combined inside snaps during the Chiefs’ three-game playoff run ... though it’s worth noting that his one snap there against the Buffalo Bills produced an instant QB pressure off a blitz and helped send the Chiefs to the Super Bowl.
KC should have more ability to move McDuffie around now, thanks to an offseason move. The Chiefs added former Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton in free agency, someone who has extensively played outside during his NFL career.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Monday that Fulton’s signing, in part, was aimed at giving the Chiefs more flexibility.
“Trent is such a good inside player,” Reid said. “And Spags likes using him in there and has a good package — has a nice package in there with him when he’s used him in there.”
McDuffie admits that he “had a lot of fun” while playing more slot corner in 2023. He didn’t play that position in college, so the experience of getting to blitz was new.
“Like I told (the coaches): ‘Anything I can do, truly: Outside, inside, cover, whatever you need me to do, where I stand — ever since I came in — that’s what I’m going to continue to do,” McDuffie said.
This offseason, McDuffie said he’s begun to study tape of himself from when he played more slot corner two seasons ago. He’s also started to watch film of a few other dominant inside corners around the league, just to ensure he’s ready to step in there for more snaps if needed.
He’s also excited to team up with Fulton, who agreed to a two-year, $20 million deal with the Chiefs. McDuffie said that in one of their first conversations, the fifth-year pro Fulton reiterated his desire to do whatever was best for the group.
“I love when (general manager Brett) Veach brings in people like that who aren’t really here for their individual accolades, but really just for the team and coming in and supporting the team,” McDuffie said. “And that’s just the vibe I got from him. And I know he’s gonna be able to come in here and make a name for himself, for real.”
McDuffie could be getting his own payday from the Chiefs soon. Veach mentioned to reporters last week that the team would likely be speaking with McDuffie’s representation this offseason, as he’s eligible for a long-term extension following his third pro season.
The Chiefs also can sign McDuffie to a fifth-year option because he’s a former first-round pick; that’s something KC almost certainly will pick up before the May 1 deadline, considering it would lock in McDuffie for the 2026 season at a $13.6 million cost.
Though McDuffie said he was letting his agent deal with all negotiations, he made it clear that he’d love to remain with the Chiefs well into the future.
“I love what this team has done for me, and I love what I’ve been able to do for them,” McDuffie said. “So if it’s a long-term deal, I’d be ecstatic, that’s for sure.”
This story was originally published April 22, 2025 at 5:30 AM with the headline "Chiefs shared new plan for star player in his exit interview. He’s all for it."
