The Rams agreed to a record-breaking contract extension with cornerback Trent McDuffie, per a source with knowledge.
After trading for the Pro Bowl cornerback this week, the club awarded him a new contract extension that will make him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.
The four-year deal is worth $124 million and includes $100 million guaranteed.
McDuffie’s $100 million in guarantees tops Derek Stingley Jr.’s $89.026 million and Sauce Gardner’s $85.653 million.
McDuffie’s annual salary of $31 million per season exceeds Gardner’s $30.1 million and Stingley Jr.’s $30 million.
The Rams acquired McDuffie by trading their 2026 first-round pick (No. 29), their fifth- and sixth-round picks this year, and their 2027 third-round pick. In doing so, they addressed one of their biggest offseason needs.
It’s a steep price to pay, from draft assets to money, but from the Rams’ perspective, they are assets worth acquiring a player who not only fulfills a massive need but also the type of impact cornerback not likely to be available on the open market or in the NFL draft.
Cornerback became a liability for the Rams as last season progressed. With Cobie Durant and Ahkello Witherspoon both pending free agents, an opening existed to make an upgrade.
The move aligns with the Rams’ win-now mindset as they try to maximize quarterback Matthew Stafford’s final years and their long-standing willingness to use premium draft capital to acquire impact veteran players.
McDuffie has been a top NFL cornerback throughout his career, excelling in the slot and on the perimeter while also showing pass-rush skills.
A first-round pick in 2022, McDuffie is a native of Westminster and a former prep star at Servite and St. John Bosco high schools.
McDuffie has 246 career tackles, 5.5 sacks, three interceptions and 34 pass breakups throughout his four-year career.
Chargers add fullback: The Chargers are signing fullback Alec Ingold to a two-year contract worth over $7 million.
Ingold reunites with his former Dolphins coach, Mike McDaniel, now the Chargers’ offensive coordinator.
Ingold was released last week by the Dolphins in a cost-cutting move.
Raiders trade for CB: Needing help in their secondary, the Raiders are trading for longtime Bills cornerback Taron Johnson, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
The Bills were prepared to release Johnson in a cost-cutting move but will now send him to Las Vegas for the Raiders’ 2026 sixth-round pick.
The Bills are also sending the Raiders their 2026 seventh-round pick.
In eight seasons in Buffalo, Johnson had 572 tackles, including 23 behind the line of scrimmage, 42 pass breakups, six interceptions and eight forced fumbles.
Johnson has been one of the NFL’s top slot cornerbacks during his career and fills that need for the Raiders.
The Raiders will assume Johnson’s $8.1 million contract for 2026.
