The Los Angeles Rams shocked the NFL world long before they lured Aaron Donald out of retirement, and even before acquiring Myles Garreett in a trade with the Cleveland Browns, landing Trent McDuffie in a separate deal with the Kansas City Chiefs.
McDuffie spoke about controlling what they can control amid lofty expectations both internally and externally.
He did note a lesson learned during his time with the Chiefs.
“Being mentally locked in each day is something that I learned from the Chiefs, with guys like Pat Mahomes and Travis Kelce, that have played many years and have been so successful,” McDuffie told the AP’s Rob Maaddi on “On Football” on September 4.
“I’ve seen them just do the little things each and every day and never miss. And for me, that was huge. As a young guy, to see these Hall of Famers–these guys who have done everything– really, just focus on like the little details each and every day, and just be consistent at that, and see how that stacks throughout the year, that’s something that I really harp on.”
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McDuffie said having the talent they do “allows people to just kind of take a deep breath and be like, “all right, we we have what we have now. Let’s just focus on bringing that together.”
Notably, McDuffie and the Rams will host the Chiefs on “Thursday Night Football” in Week 13.
History-Making All-Pro Trent McDuffie Gets Honest About Trade From Chiefs to Rams
McDuffie was the first-ever AP All-Pro First Team “slot cornerback,” and he is a two-time Super Bowl champion.
He said he has been revitalized by the move.
“I’ve truly embraced this culture, and I feel like I’ve really flourished in what has been a part about being a Ram, and I just love football again. That’s something that I’m really excited talking about,” McDuffie told Maaddi.
“When you get traded, all this craziness happens. You go to a new team, new city, like, ‘What’s happening?’ The unknown. And now that I’m here and just knowing how much fun I’ve had, seeing how much I’ve grown just in this little amount of time being a part of this team, and this coaching staff, I have a lot of gratitude towards these guys, being able to pick me up and kind of welcome me in.”
McDuffie spoke also candidly about adjusting to the Rams his trade from the Chiefs.
LA surrendered the 29th, 169th, and 210th overall picks in the 2026 draft along with a 2027 third-rounder to Kansas City.
“I definitely think that [loss of enjoyment in the game] just [music] comes with the traded side. Honestly, I wouldn’t be playing football if I didn’t love it. I loved my years on the Chiefs. I had so much fun with them boys. And, obviously, once you get that business side, you get traded, things like that, it’s kind of a culture shock, and there’s a lot of stressors, a lot of pressure,” McDuffie said. “Moving cities and, honestly, just walking into something new.
“There’s a lot of anxiety with that. So, I feel like once I was able to be here, once I got to be around the team, get back into football, get in the swing of things, that love, that excitement kind of came back. Last year was the first time I didn’t go to playoffs; didn’t go to the Super Bowl. So, also experiencing a long offseason.”
McDuffie said he has been ready to play since May and is excited that the season is right around the corner.
In the meantime, his Rams teammates are testing him regularly.
Trent McDuffie Praises Rams
McDuffie has relished his time with the Rams this offseason and in training camp. He spoke highly of Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua, and Davante Adams.
“It’s huge. Iron sharpens iron, and I’m a big believer in that,” McDuffie said, adding that. “Knowing that Davante and Puka show up each day, truly ready to be at their best, brings the best out of you.”
“And I’m really grateful that we have Matthew Stafford back there, who has some no-lookers, does some things that I haven’t personally seen before, just based on my technique and this defense that I’ve done differently than the Chiefs. I’ve had a lot of fun, but I’ve also grown a ton, just as a football player.”
McDuffie also raved about having a defensive line featuring Aaron Donald and Myles Garrett.
“It’s huge. I’m a big believer that your front four, front five, those trenches really win you games,” McDuffie said.
“This team is really special because we’re so close,” McDuffie said. “We have kind of a younger team. They’re hungry. It’s been a few years since they made it. They lost in the [NFC] championship last year. So, there’s this little chip on the shoulder that, like, ‘We can get there. It’s just how do we get over that hump?’”
Rams’ Trent McDuffie Does Not Hold Back About Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce