Cornerback contracts have continued to soar in the NFL, with Derek Stingley breaking the bank on a three-year, $90 million extension this offseason that included $89 million in total guarantees.<\/p>\n
Six cornerbacks have annual salaries worth over $20 million per year, and Kansas City Chiefs<\/a> defensive back Trent McDuffie could be the next to hit the mark.<\/p>\n McDuffie, entering his age-25 season, is going into the fourth year of his rookie contract in 2025. The Chiefs have already picked up his fifth-year option, which will pay him $13.6 million in 2026, but a long-term extension is expected sooner rather than later for one of the best young cornerbacks in the NFL.<\/p>\n Kansas City has had an interesting trajectory at cornerback, letting a few of their homegrown stars go after their rookie deals expired. Some notable names include L\u2019Jarius Sneed, who got a four-year, $80 million deal with the Tennessee Titans<\/a>, and Charvarius Ward, who signed with the San Francisco 49ers<\/a> back in 2022.<\/p>\n But, McDuffie could change that, as he\u2019s already earned a First-Team All-Pro selection and a Second-Team All-Pro selection in his first three years in the NFL. Additionally, he\u2019s shown up in the biggest moments, being a key cog on the Chiefs\u2019 defense in the playoffs.<\/p>\n What could a possible extension for McDuffie look like, be it this or next offseason?<\/p>\n Baseline numbers for a Trent McDuffie Chiefs contract<\/strong><\/p>\n Given McDuffie\u2019s age and immediate production, it\u2019s not out of the question to say he can reset the cornerback market when he gets extended.<\/p>\n He was part of a strong 2022 cornerback draft class that included Derek Stingley, Sauce Gardner, and Tariq Woolen, and that group has already started to reap the benefits.<\/p>\n Stingley signed a three-year, $90 million deal with $89 million guaranteed, as mentioned above, which completely reset the market. Before that, Jaycee Horn\u2019s four-year, $100 million deal was at the top for cornerbacks, which was signed a week earlier this offseason.<\/p>\n Last offseason, Patrick Surtain II signed a four-year, $96 million deal with $77.5 million guaranteed, which reset the market.<\/p>\n So, the cornerback market is only going up, which is why it\u2019d be smart for the Chiefs to act sooner rather than later on a McDuffie deal if they\u2019re confident he\u2019ll be a part of their future long-term.<\/p>\n Now, there is something important to note with the rookie extensions. Stingley did have two years remaining on his rookie deal (fourth year + fifth-year option), so his total compensation is five years for $113 million. That $22.6 million per year is still significant, but sounds a lot more feasible than $30 million per year.<\/p>\n Similarly, Jaycee Horn had the fifth-year option left on his rookie contract, so his total compensation was $112.5 million over five years, slightly below Stingley\u2019s.<\/p>\n Patrick Surtain also had two years left on his rookie deal (fourth year + fifth-year option), leaving his total compensation at $119.3 million over six years, which roughly equates to $19.9 million per year.<\/p>\n Those are all figures to keep in mind when evaluating a McDuffie extension.<\/p>\n