NFL star Trent McDuffie has detailed the brutal way he discovered he had been traded by the Kansas City Chiefs to the Los Angeles Rams – and the bitter taste it left in his mouth.
Earlier this year, it emerged that the superstar cornerback was headed to LA in a move that sent shockwaves across the NFL.
McDuffie, 25, had been with the Chiefs since being selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft, winning two Super Bowls under Andy Reid.
But back in March, the cornerback was training when notifications began popping up on his Apple Watch. He thought little of it and altered his settings to ‘do not disturb’ before attempting to finish his session.
Before long, however, McDuffie’s mother and fiancee had walked in. ‘Why are y’all here?’ McDuffie recalled during an appearance on the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast.
The news of his move to Los Angeles had been leaked before McDuffie’s agent could tell him. ‘The world stopped for a second,’ McDuffie said. ‘I was like: “Let me get my bearings. What just happened?”‘
Trent McDuffie has revealed the brutal way he discovered he had been traded by the Chiefs
The cornerback, pictured with girlfriend Gabby Esposito, spent four seasons with the Chiefs
The star cornerback was sent to the LA Rams in a move that sent shockwaves across the NFL
Over four seasons in Kansas City, McDuffie established himself as one of the best defensive players in the NFL and the cornerback expected to agree a contract extension with the Chiefs.
In the end, he left without speaking directly to the team. And for a time that did not sit well with McDuffie.
‘A little part of me was just like: “Damn, bro, what’s up with that?”’ he said. ‘”You didn’t let me know anything.”
He continued: ‘I didn’t have any conversation about nothing. It was just like: “Bye” pretty much.’
But McDuffie’s mood changed when he discovered he was headed to Los Angeles. ‘Oh, I made it,’ thought McDuffie, who grew up nearby. ‘I can’t hold on to the past… it happened. Let’s just move on as fast as I can.’
The cornerback added: ‘Honestly, this team [The Rams] is so fun… you can just tell there’s this attention to wanting to get better.’
Kansas City received four draft picks as part of the deal, while McDuffie signed a four-year, $124million deal with the team tipped to win next year’s Super Bowl on home soil.
‘I feel like I got that spirit back, that swagger back,’ the cornerback said. ‘I’m in LA, I’m with guys who make this fun. I can’t wait for the season.’
