Rams To Acquire CB Trent McDuffie From Chiefs
Eight years after the Chiefs sent Marcus Peters to the Rams, the two teams engaged in discussions about another blockbuster cornerback trade. This time, Trent McDuffie is the Los Angeles target. A deal has come together swiftly.
The Rams are sending the Chiefs No. 29 overall, along with 2026 fifth- and sixth-rounders, for McDuffie, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports. This deal will also send Kansas City Los Angeles’ 2027 third-round pick, per Russini.
The teams were “deep in talks” on this trade a few minutes ago, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported. Mentioned previously as way for the Chiefs to clear cap space, trading McDuffie would also reunite him with ex-Washington HC Jimmy Lake, who is on the Rams’ staff as DBs coach and pass-game coordinator. This reminds of the Chiefs’ 2025 Joe Thuney trade, which broke minutes after the team was mentioned as discussing him with the Bears.
In PFR’s Chiefs Offseason Outlook, I broached the subject of the AFC powerhouse pivoting from McDuffie extension talks and using the contract as a way to fetch rookie-deal assets. The Chiefs have done this repeatedly at corner. They have now traded Peters, McDuffie and L’Jarius Sneed under Andy Reid. The team has also let starters Steven Nelson, Kendall Fuller and Charvarius Ward walk in free agency.
It will be interesting to see if Kansas City attempts to re-sign Jaylen Watson — whose second contract will be much cheaper than McDuffie’s — as a result of this swap. The Chiefs and McDuffie resumed extension talks recently, but it seems the cornerback’s price point was out of the team’s comfort zone. Landing a picks package after failed extension talks is familiar territory.
Much like in 2022, when the Chiefs bailed on Tyreek Hill extension talks after the price escalated, Kansas City has deemed an extension too pricey and will move on for a picks package headlined by a first-rounder. McDuffie initially came to K.C. via that Hill asset trove, with the Chiefs trading up to draft him in 2022. Playing both outside and in the slot, McDuffie became a linchpin for Steve Spagnuolo‘s defenses. He earned All-Pro recognition in 2023 and ’24 and has worked as the team’s secondary anchor, complementing Chris Jones and Nick Bolton as Chiefs defensive pillars.
The Chiefs entered Wednesday more than $6MM over the cap; this move — which cannot be official until March 11, when the 2026 league year begins — will slide the AFC West team under the salary ceiling. Kansas City had already cut Mike Danna and is planning to release Jawaan Taylor. Kristian Fulton, who did not play well after the Chiefs gave him a $10MM-per-year deal, can also deliver some notable cap savings.
McDuffie and the Chiefs were negotiating an extension before last season, but the sides could not hammer out an agreement. A fall report indicated McDuffie was eyeing a potential top-market contract. Considering how stingy the Chiefs have been at cornerback, that report made a trade somewhat logical to predict. McDuffie, 25, is now headed to L.A. with one season left — a fifth-year option campaign ($13.63MM) — on his rookie contract.
A quirk in the CBA’s fifth-year option formula allowed the Chiefs to save money on McDuffie’s option. Although McDuffie is a former first- and second-team All-Pro, he has never been named an original-ballot Pro Bowler. The latter honor is what triggers option bumps, and McDuffie ended up on the third rung of the option ladder. But the option price is now the Rams’ issue. Given what is being traded here, it would surprise if L.A. did not have an extension planned.
The Rams did not pay Peters in 2018, eventually trading him to the Ravens in 2019, but this trade reminds of Les Snead‘s former “eff them picks” mantra. Los Angeles traded a first-rounder for Brandin Cooks in 2018 and extended the receiver soon after. They traded two firsts for Jalen Ramsey in 2019 and extended the All-Pro corner in 2020. The Rams traded two firsts for Matthew Stafford in 2021 and paid him a year later. They dealt second- and third-rounders for Von Miller months into the Stafford tenure, and the Stafford-Ramsey-Miller trades helped Snead and Sean McVay secure a championship.
Cornerback play cost the Rams dearly in 2025. Although the Rams went punch-for-punch with the eventual champion Seahawks in the NFC title game, Sam Darnold finished with 346 yards and three touchdown passes in a shootout win. The Rams were linked to reacquiring Ramsey last year but stood down. L.A. will now use its own first-round pick — a year after acquiring No. 13 from Atlanta, as the Falcons traded up for edge rusher James Pearce Jr. — to transform that position group.
They ended up using rookie-deal corners and aging cog Darious Williams, with a midseason trade for Roger McCreary not impacting the defense much. McCreary and Cobie Durant are free agents, and Williams is a cut candidate. Emmanuel Forbes, who almost definitely will not see his fifth-year option exercised, has one season left on his contract.
Our Rory Parks outlined the Rams’ mission of upgrading at corner, and The Athletic’s Nate Adkins discussed McDuffie as an option earlier today. Snead brought up the prospect of adding an All-Pro talent to address this situation, and the Rams have their answer. McDuffie is now the centerpiece of the L.A. secondary, which has lacked such a player since the team traded Ramsey to the Dolphins in 2023.
The Rams ranked 10th in scoring defense last season but were 19th against the pass. McDuffie did not earn Pro Bowl or All-Pro acclaim in 2025, but he has been one of the NFL’s best corners for years. While only including three career interceptions, McDuffie’s resume will allow him to command a near-top-market deal. This four-pick package will help his cause for a contract at or near the $30MM-per-year level Derek Stingley Jr. and Sauce Gardner reached last year.
The expectation of a McDuffie windfall also comes as the Rams’ 2023 draftees — including Puka Nacua, Steve Avila, Byron Young, Kobie Turner and Warren McClendon — are all extension-eligible. Some big-picture decisions are coming, and this McDuffie acquisition offers an interesting complication. But after narrowly missing out on another Super Bowl berth, the team is loading up after receiving assurances Matthew Stafford will return after his MVP season.
A Washington alum, McDuffie started for two Super Bowl-winning teams — serving as both squads’ top CB — and was out there for the Chiefs-Eagles rematch. Spagnuolo used McDuffie more in the slot in 2023 but shifted the 5-foot-11 defender to more of a boundary role over the past two seasons. Pro Football Focus ranked McDuffie as a top-five corner in 2023 and ’24 and has never ranked him outside the top 20. The Rams are paying up for the CB’s final four seasons in his 20s, as the Chiefs cash out yet again.
Kansas City has Watson days away from free agency, and contributor Joshua Williams joins him. The team rosters Fulton but could cut him soon. Slot player Chamarri Conner has one season left on his rookie deal, though the team traded up for Nohl Williams in last year’s third round. Williams (five 2025 starts) figures to be a more prominent player in Kansas City’s 2026 secondary.
As today’s transaction continues to remind, however, Chiefs corners need to find new homes after their rookie deals wrap. As Kansas City retools here yet again, it will be interesting to see if McDuffie can leapfrog Stingley and Gardner to become the NFL’s highest-paid CB.
Patriots Intend To Release Stefon Diggs
The Patriots have informed wide receiver Stefon Diggs that they will release him at the start of the league year next week, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Diggs took to Instagram to thank the Patriots on Wednesday.
It will be a one-and-done stint in New England for Diggs, who signed a three-year, $63.3MM deal with the team last spring. Diggs was then recovering from an October 2024 ACL tear that occurred during his lone year with the Texans. Also a former Viking and Bill, Diggs showed no ill effects from his injury last season.
Playing all 17 regular-season games, the four-time Pro Bowler ended up an integral part of a New England team that stunningly improved from 4-13 to 14-3 in 2025. The Patriots won the AFC East and advanced to Super Bowl LX, where they fell to the Seahawks, 29-13.
The 32-year-old Diggs was MVP candidate Drake Maye‘s favorite option throughout the season. Diggs easily led the Patriots in receptions (85), targets (102) and yards (1,013). He also grabbed four touchdowns.
Diggs was less productive during the Pats’ four-game postseason run, in which he averaged just 7.9 yards on 14 catches. His short Patriots tenure also included some unwanted off-field drama. A video of Diggs flashing an “unidentified pink substance” during a yacht party surfaced last May.
When asked about it, head coach Mike Vrabel said, “It’s something we’re aware of and obviously we want to make great decisions on and off the field.”
Diggs never received any punishment for that incident, and there was no further trouble for several months. However, that ended when a Dec. 2 incident involving Diggs came to light on Dec. 30. Diggs’ former personal chef told police he entered her unlocked bedroom during a financial dispute and “smacked her across the face.” She added that Diggs “tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck.”
Diggs pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of strangulation and a charge of misdemeanor assault and battery on Feb. 13. He is scheduled for a pretrial hearing on April 1. Depending on how the process plays out, Diggs could face disciplinary action from the league next season. That will hang over his head as he seeks another team in free agency.
The Patriots will no longer have to worry about a potential suspension for Diggs, though the loss of a seven-time 1,000-yard wideout will leave an obvious void in their receiving corps. Philadelphia’s A.J. Brown has come up as a potential trade target, but the Eagles’ asking price has been prohibitive to this point. In addition to Brown, the Diggs-less Patriots are sure to explore other possibilities this offseason.
The Pats already had upward of $39MM in cap space entering the day. Cutting Diggs will give them more money to pursue help at receiver and other positions. Once his release becomes official, the Patriots will add $16.8MM in spending room at the cost of $9.7MM in dead cap. They will also avoid paying $6MM in base salary that would have vested on March 13.
Commanders Re-Sign DE Deatrich Wise, DT Shy Tuttle
The Commanders added two veterans in the defensive trenches last year but barely saw use out of either of them. Well, both defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. and defensive tackle Shy Tuttle will get another chance in Washington as the Commanders have re-signed both players to one-year deals for the 2026 NFL season, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. 
Wise joined the Commanders as a free agent almost a year ago, signing with only his second NFL franchise after spending the first eight years of his career in New England. After working his way up from rotational piece to full-time starter for the Patriots over that time then falling back down the depth chart, Wise found himself in Washington, where he would once again get a chance at being a full-time starter. Unfortunately, only two games into the season, Wise was carted off the field with a season-ending quad injury. This new deal will allow Wise a second chance at a first full season with the Commanders.
Tuttle also only played two games with the Commanders in 2025, but that was because he spent the majority of his season with the Titans. Over the first ten weeks of the season, Tuttle worked as a rotational tackle on the defensive line in Tennessee, playing about a quarter of the team’s defensive snaps. After seeing no game action for about a month late in the season, Tuttle was put on waivers by the Titans and claimed by the Commanders. He played in the team’s final two games before the season came to an end.
These two veterans have both fallen on harder times after working to establish themselves as starters in the NFL. The Commanders believe they’ve got enough to offer, though, and will give each player another opportunity to contribute in 2026 now that Wise should be able to get healthy and Tuttle will get a full offseason with the team.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/4/26
More teams made tender/non-tender decisions on restricted and exclusive rights free agents today. Here are the latest updates:
RFAs
Non-tendered:
- Buccaneers: S Christian Izien, RB Sean Tucker
- Commanders: K Jake Moody
- Cowboys: G Brock Hoffman
- Patriots: CB Alex Austin
Before taking a backseat to second-year safety Tykee Smith this year, Izien served as a major contributor for the Bucs secondary. In his first two years as an undrafted player out of Rutgers, Izien started 14 of 31 game appearances, logging 140 total tackles, three interceptions, and two forced fumbles. Meanwhile, Tucker made himself a bowling ball in the redzone this year, recording a team-leading seven rushing touchdowns on just 86 attempts. His 320 rushing yards were third in Tampa Bay’s running backs room behind Bucky Irving (588) and Rachaad White (572).
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Browns: TE Brenden Bates, WR Malachi Corley, LB Winston Reid, LS Rex Sunahara, K Andre Szmyt, WR Jamari Thrash
- Cowboys: CB Reddy Steward
- Lions: K Jake Bates
- Panthers: WR Jalen Coker, WR Brycen Tremayne
- Vikings: DT Jalen Redmond
While Moody continues to struggle to stay employed after getting draft in the third round three years ago, Bates and Szmyt will get another go around in Detroit and Cleveland.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/4/26
Minor NFL transactions are picking back up as we near the start of free agency with teams trying to secure any pending free agents before they hit the open market:
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: RB Chris Brooks
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Re-signed: TE Quintin Morris
Los Angeles Chargers
- Placed on reserve/retired list: C Bradley Bozeman (story)
Miami Dolphins
- Re-signed: LB Cameron Goode
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Re-signed: QB Connor Bazelak
- Exercised club option: P Riley Dixon
Brooks served as a third rushing option in Green Bay this year behind Josh Jacobs and Emanuel Wilson while MarShawn Lloyd sat on injured reserve all season. It was thought that, if Lloyd had been activated off IR, one of Wilson or Brooks would’ve been the odd man out. Though Wilson got significantly more usage (125 carries for 496 rushing yards and three touchdowns) than Brooks (27 carries for 106 yards) this season, Wilson was not tendered as a restricted free agent, and Brooks agreed to a two-year deal to stay in Green Bay.
Known more for his contributions as a blocker and special teamer, Morris has made a place for himself on the roster in Duval. He appeared in 14 games for Jacksonville last year, earning five starts.
Dixon’s two-year contract had a potential out with which, if they had decided not to retain him, his release wouldn’t have created any dead cap money. The team has opted not to go that route, extending his time with the team to the full duration of the contract.
Steelers To Release TE Jonnu Smith
Once Arthur Smith left Pittsburgh, it did not take long for his favorite tight end to follow. The Steelers are releasing Jonnu Smith, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, adding him to a strong crop of free agents at his position.
The move will save $7MM against the salary cap with $3.9MM in dead money, according to OverTheCap. The Steelers currently have just over $40MM in 2026 cap space, so they did not need the money. However, with Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington still in place – and Arthur Smith now at Ohio State – Jonnu Smith became surplus to requirements in Pittsburgh, especially with a $10.9MM cap hit.
Smith, 30, arrived in Pittsburgh last offseason as part of the Jalen Ramsey–Minkah Fitzpatrick swap with the Dolphins. He signed a one-year, $12MM extension with the Steelers, but only received $9MM of that money. In 2025, he only put up 222 yards and two touchdowns on 38 catches, less than half of his production during his Pro Bowl 2024 campaign in Miami.
Smith will now join several other veteran tight ends in free agency. Teams may be cautious after a down year, but the presence of Freiermuth and Washington and the Steelers’ general offensive struggles in 2025 are mitigating factors. But Smith has never received strong blocking grades from Pro Football Focus (subscription required), which could limit interest from teams looking for a secondary tight end to help in the run game.
Perhaps Los Angeles could be a landing spot. There, Smith could reunite with Mike McDaniel, his head coach in Miami who is now the Chargers’ offensive coordinator. Smith put up career numbers in his lone season under McDaniel and could serve as an experience TE2 behind 2025 rookie breakout Oronde Gadsden II.
Vikings To Release DT Jonathan Allen
Faced with a tight 2026 salary cap picture, the Vikings are making some tough roster decisions before the new league year. They are expected to release defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Minnesota will see $6.5MM in savings as a result of the move with $17.3MM in dead money, according to OverTheCap. A post-June 1 designation would increase the savings and push more dead money into 2027, but that money would not be available until that date. The Vikings are currently more than $46MM over the 2026 cap, so they will need to process the move right away to get closer to cap-compliance.
Allen, 31, was released by the Commanders last offseason after eight seasons in Washington. He signed a three-year, $60MM deal with the Vikings shortly thereafter and will now depart having seen $23.5MM of that money for just one year’s work.
Allen still had $8MM in guaranteed 2026 salary on his deal, so he will be available to sign with a new team for the veteran minimum. That will strengthen his market after two straight down years. He logged just 6.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss in 2024 and 2025 after posting at least 5.5 sacks and 10 TFLs in his previous three seasons, two of which featured Pro Bowl nods. Allen will still be one of the more proven defensive tackles in free agency, and he can be signed right away without affecting the compensatory pick formula, which further adds to his appeal.
The Vikings also released defensive tackle Javon Hargrave this week, but they have several young players ready to step up in the trenches, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. Among them are Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake Rodriguez, and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, though only Redmond and Rodriguez made an impact. 2025 undrafted free agent signing Elijah Williams could also push for more playing time after making the 53-man roster as a rookie, but Minnesota may still look for a more experienced DT to round out the unit.
Chiefs To Release T Jawaan Taylor
MARCH 4: The Chiefs have informed Taylor that they will release him today, per Schefter.
MARCH 2: As expected, Jawaan Taylor will be playing elsewhere in 2026. The veteran tackle will be released unless a trade partner can be found, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. 
During his three years in Kansas City, Taylor has not lived up to expectations. Signed to a four-year, $80MM free agent pact in 2023, the former Jaguar has operated as a full-time right tackle starter but continually struggled with penalties. Taylor loomed as a logical cut candidate entering this offseason, and a recent report indicated a release was likely in this case. It would certainly come as a surprise if a team were to take on the final year of his contract, so a cut should take place soon.
Taylor was due to collect a base salary of $19.5MM in 2026 while carrying a cap hit of $27.39MM. Instead, the Chiefs will free up $20MM in cap space with a release; doing so will generate a dead money charge of $7.39MM. Jaylon Moore represents an in-house replacement for Taylor in the starting lineup. Meanwhile, this Taylor cut will move Kansas City into cap compliance (although more cost-shedding move could of course be coming).
Entering his age-28 season, Taylor will offer considerable experience to his next team. With 111 appearances and starts in the NFL, he will look to remain a first-team presence when weighing his free agent options. Given the way things played out in Kansas City, however, the former second-round pick will no doubt receive a much less lucrative deal than he did during his first trip to free agency. Still, tackles at his age do not often become available, so it will be interesting to see how his market develops.
Taylor has remained consistent in terms of his PFF evaluations over the course of his career. The Florida product has has finished no better than 49th among qualifying tackles for overall grade in a season, something which took place during his rookie campaign. Significant improvement would come as a surprise at this point, but Taylor could still be viewed as a veteran capable of handling starting right tackle duties by teams in need of additions up front. A short-term agreement could allow him to line up a new gig in relatively short order.
Moore, 28, has only totaled 18 starts so far in his career. The former 49er will collect $15MM in 2026, the final year of his contract. A full-time role in the starting lineup will of course go a long way in establishing his value for next spring. After left tackle Josh Simmons was limited to eight games as a rookie, Kansas City could be in the market for depth at the position this month. In any case, the team’s setup will not include Taylor for 2026.
Cowboys Restructure Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Tyler Smith’s Contracts
PFR’s Cowboys Offseason Outlook indicated the team exited last week with the league’s worst cap situation. Dallas came into today more than $56MM over the $301.2MM salary ceiling. They are moving back toward cap compliance with some expected adjustments.
The Cowboys restructured Dak Prescott and Tyler Smith‘s contracts Wednesday, ESPN’s Field Yates and Adam Schefter tweet. These moves will create $47MM in cap space, bringing Dallas within $10MM of the 2026 cap. The team also restructured CeeDee Lamb‘s deal to clear more room, per ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. Other possible conversions are available as well. The Lamb move, expected to clear $19MM more in space, slides the Cowboys under the cap.
Dallas used a $28.29MM franchise tag to keep George Pickens off the free agent market. That sank the team deeper into the red. But Pickens is firmly in the Cowboys’ 2026 plans. As a result, contract updates are coming to make it affordable. Quinnen Williams and Osa Odighizuwa‘s deals are also on that list, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris, and a rumored Kenny Clark extension effort would reduce the 2025 trade pickup’s cap hit.
Prescott, 32, is tied to the NFL’s richest contract — a four-year, $240MM extension agreed to hours before Week 1 of the 2024 season. This move will reduce the 11th-year quarterback’s $50.52MM 2026 cap number while inflating future numbers on the through-2028 contract. Before this restructure, Prescott was already due to count more than $74MM against Dallas’ 2027 cap. Another restructure would be on tap before that point.
The Cowboys backed themselves into a corner with Prescott based on previous restructures. His no-tag clause and the void year-driven penalties that would have come in 2025 absent an extension armed the upper-crust QB with extraordinary leverage. He used it to score the $60MM-per-year extension — which still hovers well above the QB market 18 months later.
Lamb is signed through 2028 on a $34MM-AAV extension. The Cowboys have now restructured his deal twice as well. Lamb was due to count $38.24MM on Dallas’ 2026 cap and more than $41MM next year. While Lamb’s 2027 number will balloon, his 2026 figure will drop to create spending space. Smith, who signed the NFL’s most lucrative guard deal last fall ($24MM AAV), is signed through 2030. His cap number will drop from $27.5MM.
Chargers Plan To Release G Mekhi Becton
Already holding more than $84MM in cap space, the Chargers are prepared to create more soon. They are planning to release Mekhi Becton, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.
This release is not yet official, potentially as the team holds out hope for a trade, but Fowler indicates Los Angeles will move on from Becton after one season. The Super Bowl-winning guard signed a two-year, $20MM Bolts deal in 2025. This move will create $9.7MM in cap space for the AFC West club.
[RELATED: Chargers In Play To Re-Sign Khalil Mack]
Mentioned in our Chargers Offseason Outlook as a player who would likely be cut, Becton did not fare as well as he did in Philadelphia. The NFL showed some skepticism about Becton last year, with the former Jets first-rounder taking a few days before committing to the Chargers. The Bolts gave Becton just $6.49MM guaranteed at signing, with the only dead money as part of this upcoming release tied up in a signing bonus.
A timeline is in place on Becton, who is due a $2.5MM roster bonus on March 13. This will bring a resolution. The Chargers including that bonus provided some protection in case the Eagles’ 2024 RG starter could not sustain his bounce-back form. Becton was a season-long Chargers starter at RG but underwhelmed while also missing time — as part of a battered Bolts O-line — due to injury. Maladies defined Becton’s Jets tenure, with the 2020 first-round pick missing almost all of the 2021 and ’22 seasons.
The Eagles moved to Tyler Steen, whom Becton beat out for their RG job in 2024, last season. Philly is not expected to pursue a reunion with Becton once he is released, Essentiallysports.com’s Tony Pauline notes. One season remains on Steen’s rookie contract. This could give the Chargers two guard needs, with LG Zion Johnson poised to be one of the market’s top free agents next week.
Los Angeles gave Becton 14 starts last season; Pro Football Focus ranked Becton 77th out of 79 qualified guards. Set to turn 27 in April, Becton (15 regular-season Eagles starts in 2024) has time to re-route his career. But this represents a significant step back. It could lead to tepid interest in the mammoth blocker in free agency.
Becton caught the Bolts’ attention while playing on a one-year, $2.75MM Eagles deal. That pact came weeks into the 2024 free agency period, as minimal interest came for a slimmed-down Becton after he spent 2023 back on the field — at both left and right tackle for the Jets — after the two-year injury spell. It would not surprise if Becton needs another “prove it” deal to rebound after his uninspiring Chargers campaign.
This release will move the Bolts past $91MM in cap space. Though, L.A. is not expected to be aggressive in free agency this offseason. But an opportunity to bolster the roster in a competitive division awaits for Jim Harbaugh and GM Joe Hortiz.