It’s not a coincidence that both of the starting cornerbacks for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2025 joined the Los Angeles Rams this offseason. After the Rams traded for Trent McDuffie on March 4, the ex-Chief started to recruit Jaylen Watson to join him in L.A. before he signed a new deal on March 9.
“I was calling him … like, ‘Bro, you never know,'” McDuffie said, per ESPN. “‘We might get you. We might get you. Keep an open mind.'”
The pairing makes sense. McDuffie and Watson were part of the same 2022 draft class — McDuffie was a first-round pick while Watson was in the seventh — and played all four years together in Kansas City. So, for a Rams that wanted to revitalize it’s cornerback room, bringing two players who know each other well is an easy way to pull it off in one offseason.
Per ESPN’s Sarah Barshop, though, general manager Les Snead didn’t plan on bringing both players to L.A. While scouting Watson, who was an impending free agent, Snead said he kept noticing McDuffie and had heard “whispers” that the Chiefs could be interested in trading the cornerback away.
The Rams’ intention was not initially for the pair to be a package deal. Snead said after the Rams traded for McDuffie, they were still monitoring the players that would be available in unrestricted free agency and “didn’t necessarily plan for [Watson] to be available.”
Now, the two are poised to be the Rams’ top two cornerbacks in 2026. Emmanuel Forbes Jr. is still on the roster, too, and the Rams could still add another rookie in the draft.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Trent McDuffie says he helped recruit Jaylen Watson to Rams
Reporting by Oliver G., Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
