It didn’t take long for news of the blockbuster trade to reach the ears of Patrick Mahomes.
The Chiefs star quarterback had very little to say — one word to be exact — when finding out that teammate Trent McDuffie was being traded to the Rams in exchange for four picks, including the No. 29 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
A potential deal, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, would include the Rams sending one of their first-round picks (No. 29 overall) and additional compensation, including a fifth, a sixth and a 2027 third rounder, in exchange for the two-time Super Bowl champion.
Rapoport added the impending swap “should” result in a new longterm contract for the 25-year-old.
A trade to LA would reunite McDuffie with Jimmy Lake, the Rams’ defensive backs coach who helped McDuffie become a star in college at Washington.
McDuffie was drafted with the No. 21 overall pick in 2022 by the Chiefs, helping lead a defense that partnered with Mahomes’ elite offense to win back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024.
Mahomes had surgery in December to repair ligaments in his left knee after tearing his ACL and LCL during their Week 15 playoff-eliminating loss to the Chargers.
“I want to be ready for Week 1. The doctors said I could,” Mahomes said in January. “But I can’t predict what happens throughout the process. That’s the goal, to play Week 1 and have no restrictions. You want to be out there healthy and give us the best chance to win. I hope to do some things in OTAs and training camp and be able to do things there.”
While the loss of McDuffie clearly stings for Mahomes, having an extra first-round pick this season — and possibly another weapon on offense — would help ease the pain. The Chiefs are coming off their worst season since they went 2-14 in 2012 and missed the postseason for the first time since 2014.
