Chiefs News: Attention shifts to Trent McDuffie’s contract

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Focus shifts to Trent McDuffie’s contract

Ranking best NFL teams since 2000: Top 25 over past 25 years | ESPN

9. 2019 Kansas City Chiefs (15-4)

Fate: Won Super Bowl LIV over 49ers 31-20

Offense: 96th percentile

Defense: 74th percentile

The ultimate “No lead is safe” team, the Chiefs simply broke competitors’ hearts. Their playoff run quickly became legendary. Down 24-0 against the Texans within 20 minutes, Kansas City promptly scored the next 41 points and won by multiple touchdowns. In the AFC title game, the Titans went up 10-0 in the first quarter before the Chiefs answered back, with a Patrick Mahomes scramble before halftime giving them a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Then, having struggled for most of the Super Bowl against the 49ers, the Chiefs converted a third-and-15 for 44 yards and scored three touchdowns in the final 6:13, speeding away from yet another deficit with what ended up as a relatively comfortable victory.

Kansas City wasn’t always playing from behind, of course. One year removed from Mahomes’ stunning 2018 season and an overtime loss to the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, the Chiefs won six games by two touchdowns or more. They were one of three teams to beat a 14-win Ravens squad that missed out on the top 25 only by virtue of immediately losing at home in the postseason. The Chiefs topped a Patriots team in New England that fielded one of the best defenses of the last quarter century. They avoided both teams in the AFC bracket when they lost to the Titans, a 9-7 squad that rode Derrick Henry to a deep playoff run.

Chiefs teammate hails Travis Kelce’s mentorship ahead of new season | Marca

His generosity has left a lasting impression inside the Chiefs’ locker room as well. Defensive end George Karlaftis, who has developed into a standout player since joining the team three seasons ago, recently named Kelce his favorite teammate for the kind of person he is.

“Travis Kelce. Salt of the earth kind of guy and a great person. I look up to him as a mentor,” Karlaftis said.

Kelce’s charitable reach goes far beyond his own foundation. He’s also contributed autographed items to the Make-A-Wish Foundation to help fulfill the dreams of critically ill children, and he’s been involved in raising funds for domestic violence shelters, particularly those that provide safe spaces for women, children, and pets affected by abuse.

All-Under-25 Team: Jayden Daniels, Jared Verse among NFL’s top young stars entering 2025 season | NFL.com

CB – Trent McDuffie

Kansas City Chiefs · Age: 24

Few corners blanket receivers better than McDuffie, who posted one of the best tight-window percentages (33.3%) at the position (minimum of 400 coverage snaps) last season, per NGS. The rest of his statistical picture isn’t quite as impressive, but as a defender who is still allowing a targeted passer rating below 83 and already boasts a handful of clutch plays on his highlight reel, having followed up his first-team All-Pro selection in 2023 with a second-team All-Pro nod in 2024, McDuffie has cemented his place as a key piece in Kansas City for years to come.

Most important non-QB for every NFL team: These players will go a long way in determining their club’s success | CBS Sports

Kansas City Chiefs: OT Josh Simmons and/or OT Jaylon Moore

The Chiefs offensive line fell apart last year. They signed Moore to provide insurance at left tackle and had Simmons fall into their lap in the draft. They badly need one of them to play well enough that Patrick Mahomes isn’t constantly looking over his shoulder, and can finally tap into the explosive element of the offense the team has been missing over the last two years.

Around the NFL

Buccaneers will celebrate their 50th season with original 1976 uniforms in home opener | NBC Sports

The Bucs will wear their original 1976 uniforms in their home opener on September 21 against the Jets, marking the first time since that inaugural season that the Buccaneers have worn their complete original uniforms. The Bucs have worn the famous Creamsicle look in other throwback games, but this year will be the first time that the players will wear a uniform identical to the one the team wore in 1976 — with one exception, a Creamsicle 50th season patch on the jerseys.

“The ’76 Jersey represents a piece of Buccaneers history and serves as a tribute to the generations of fans and players who shaped this franchise,” Buccaneers Chief Operating Officer Brian Ford said in a statement. “As we launch into our 50th season, we’re proud to reintroduce The ’76 Jersey and the tradition it embodies. It is a reminder that every Buccaneers fan, from the originals to the newest generation, is part of an evolving story that started in 1976 and continues being written today.”

Sources – Jets WR Garrett Wilson lands 4-year, $130M extension | ESPN

New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson, whose future with the team appeared murky at the end of last season, has reached agreement on a four-year, $130 million contract extension that makes him one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday.

The deal includes $90 million guaranteed, the fourth most in a wide receiver’s contract, the sources told Schefter. It marks the first time in NFL history that a receiver has received an average over $31 million after playing only three seasons. The $32.5 million average in his new deal is fifth highest among NFL wide receivers.

Wilson took to social media Tuesday morning to address the deal, saying he and the Jets have “mutual” faith in each other.

Sources – Jets, CB Sauce Gardner reach 4-year, $120.4M extension

Twenty-four hours after reaching a long-term contract extension with wide receiver Garrett Wilson, the Jets rewarded star cornerback Sauce Gardner with a record-setting contract — a four-year, $120.4 million extension, sources said Tuesday.

The contract includes $85.653 million guaranteed, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The two-time All-Pro becomes the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback, based on average salary per year ($30.1 million). He surpasses Houston Texans star Derek Stingley Jr., who received a three-year, $90 million extension in March. Stingley was drafted third overall in 2022, one spot ahead of Gardner.

Gardner posted to X, “this only the beginning,” and thanked his brother, Allante Gardner, and AJ Vaynerchuk, who represent him, and the Jets and their fans.

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Chiefs Salary Cap: Breaking down impact of Trey Smith’s extension

Mike Florio of NBC Sports soon reported the contract terms, potentially keeping Smith in Kansas City through 2028.

Smith is now guaranteed to earn $46.75 million over the next two seasons. For the coming season, he will receive a $10 million base salary on top of a $17 million signing bonus. The former sixth-round selection also gets a fully guaranteed $19.75 million base salary in 2026.

For 2025, Smith will now carry a salary cap charge of $14.25 million, and he is now set to count $24.25 million against the 2026 limit.

A $23.25 million base salary for 2027 is also already guaranteed for injury, and it fully vests on the third day of the 2026 league year. With Smith also able to earn a $250,000 workout bonus in each of the next three offseasons, he has likely secured a total of $70.5 million over the next three seasons.

No salary is guaranteed for 2028, the final season of the agreement. Should Smith remain in Kansas City on the contract, he will again make a $23.25 million base salary and be able to earn another $250,000 workout bonus. Playing out the entire four years would also allow Smith to reenter free agency in 2029, just before his 30th birthday.

Smith will have a scheduled salary cap charge of $27.75 million in 2027 and 2028.

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