The Kansas City Chiefs made some sweeping changes to their secondary this offseason, but could have one more move left after the season started.
The Chiefs broke up their top cornerback pair, trading Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Raiders and letting Jaylen Watson join him in free agency. The team then invested in the future of their secondary by trading up in the first round of the draft to land Mansoor Delane.
But the team’s hot start in Week 1 could force them to adjust plans with a more win-now approach, leading to speculation that they could target cornerback Joey Porter Jr. in a trade.
Chiefs Could Make Big Move With Joey Porter Jr. Trade
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport broke down the potential landing spots for Porter, who appears on the outs with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“It might seem a little odd to include the Kansas City Chiefs as a trade partner for Joey Porter Jr.,” Davenport wrote. “After all, just this past offseason the team dealt Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams rather than pay him elite money at the position—just the sort of money that Porter is likely seeking. But life comes at you fast in the NFL—and circumstances in Kansas City have changed.”
Davenport noted that the Chiefs got a scare when Delane went down with an injury early in their win over the Denver Broncos, though he is not expected to miss any time. But the team’s dominant performance against the reigning AFC West champions could have them looking for more trusted help in the secondary, Davenport suggested.
“When Kansas City dealt McDuffie, general manager Brett Veach may have been looking as much toward the future as he was living in the now,” Davenport wrote. “But now that the Chiefs have shown that the future is now, one of the NFL’s more aggressive general managers may be willing to take a swing at improving the weak spot of the defense.”
Chiefs Could Face Stiff Competition for Joey Porter Jr.
There is expected to be plenty of interest in Porter, with several other contending teams expected to make a run at the disgruntled Steelers starter. The Detroit Lions could have the biggest need, especially amid the struggles of the secondary so far this season. After giving up 30 points in an overtime win to the New Orleans Saints, the Lions surrendered 41 points to the Buffalo Bills in a Thursday Night Football loss.
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport said the Lions make sense as a landing spot, though they haven’t reached out to the Steelers yet to gauge their interest.
“As of now, I haven’t sensed a lot of activity there,” Rapoport said in an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. “If there is a trade, those partners would make sense to me. Now, can they do a deal? Are the Lions interested? What about the money? I mean, there is a lot.”
Chiefs Face New Joey Porter Jr. Trade Prediction After Hot Start