Laurent Duvernay-Tardif Sends Heartfelt Message to Chiefs Kingdom

The Kansas City Chiefs were very active during the Tuesday, November 2 trade deadline. After trading for Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Melvin Ingram in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick, they also parted ways with a beloved veteran offensive lineman.

Kansas City traded Laurent Duvernay-Tardif to the New York Jets in exchange for tight end Dan Brown, according to the team.

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While the move was a bit perplexing given how valuable Duvernay-Tardif is as a player and locker room personality, and given how deep the Chiefs are at tight end, the move essentially came down to finances.

As Spotrac mentions in the above tweet, the trade clears up nearly $1 million in cap space for Kansas City. Heading into deadline day, the Chiefs had $1.6 million in cap space, according to the NFLPA public salary cap report. So, to make room for Ingram under the cap along with some breathing room, the defending AFC champions shipped away LDT.

Duvernay-Tardif Bids Farewell to Chiefs Kingdom

After the news had been announced that Duvernay-Tardif had been traded, the veteran lineman took to Twitter to post a heartfelt message in which he said goodbye and thank you to Chiefs Kingdom.

“Words cannot express how grateful I am to the Kansas City Chiefs organization. They made my dream come true by drafting me in 2014. Thank to Coach Reid who believed in me and supported me throughout my whole career to pursue both medical school and pro football, my two passions. Winning the Super Bowl in 2020 with this team will forever be one of my proudest moments.

The the Chiefs fans, thank you for your support throughout all these years. You embraced me with open arms and made a French-Canadian feel right at home in the middle of the Midwest.

My memories in Kansas City could not have been possible without you.

To the fans in Canada, thank you for your continued support.

. . .

Saying goodbye to KC is not an easy decision. When I opted out last year, I promised myself to do everything in my power to come back on the field. Joining the Jets gives me the best opportunity to play.

I’m excited for the next step of my journey and to be a part of the New York Jets organization. I believe strongly in what they are building and I am very thankful to be a part of it. Thank you to Joe Douglas and Coach Saleh for your trust in me. Go Jets!”

Fans React to Trade

In wake of the trade news, NFL fans took to Twitter to react to LDT being shipped out of Kansas City.

“So Long, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. Thank you for an incredible 7 years in Kansas City,” Chiefs Royals Report wrote. “From your very first snap to winning the 2019 Super Bowl, we, as Chiefs Kingdom will miss you deeply and wish you a bright future in New York.”

“You send Canadian hero Laurent Duvernay-Tardif to the Jets? You trade his body to a team that barely plays football? Oh! oh! Jail for Brett Veach! Jail for Veach for One Thousand Years!!!!” wrote Andrew Bucholtz of Awful Announcing.

“Robert Saleh has first hand knowledge of Laurent Duvernay-Tardif’s skill sets from game planning against the Chiefs in the Super Bowl,” Moe Khan of TSN 690 wrote. “He must have like what he had done to bring him to the Jets.”

“I’m ganna miss LDT but this is best for the chiefs to dump that contract when trey smith has been top notch. LDT chief forever,” John Orla wrote.

“Whoa, the [Chiefs] have traded Quebec-born LDT to Jets,” Casel Dulson wrote. “LDT who was instrumental in Chiefs winning SB did not play last season opting to work on the front lines of the pandemic in Quebec long-term care homes.”

“There was never a question about LDT waiving his ‘no-trade clause’. He put that in place when he was a starter and had good options for his next contract,” Citadel Chiefs wrote. “He had to waive it if he wanted to make any kind of decent money on his next deal.”

“Thank You LDT!! Good Luck on your next journey with the Jets. You’ll always be a Chiefs!” wrote Abie Lou.

“The Jets are sending tight end Dan Brown to the Chiefs for guard Dr. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. [bro] we have the worst TE group in the league & Dan Brown couldnt even play for us lol WTF are the Chiefs doing ? Joe Douglass is a beast at trading!” NY Jets Fanatic wrote. 

READ MORE: 

• Chiefs Fans React to Kansas City Trading for DE Melvin Ingram
• NFL Analyst Rips Chiefs After Win: It’s a Boring Football Team’
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