Jaylen Watson entered the offseason hoping to sign with the Los Angeles Rams. That was before they traded for his teammate, Trent McDuffie, and gave him a $124 million extension that made him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.
After that news broke, Watson thought his hopes of going to Los Angeles were dashed. It was a similar story to the 2022 draft when he wanted the Chiefs to draft him, only to watch Kansas City take two cornerbacks in the first four rounds – one of them being McDuffie.
Watson told reporters on Thursday that he didn’t think the Rams would sign him after already acquiring McDuffie, but he was thrilled to learn they were still interested. He said he “really wanted to go to the Rams” this offseason and is happy they wound up signing him.
Stu Jackson of TheRams.com shared Watson’s recollection of how things went down.
Even after signing McDuffie to a $124 million contract, the Rams gave Watson $51 million for three years. That’s a total commitment of $175 million to the two former Chiefs cornerbacks, plus the $13.6 million McDuffie will earn on the fifth-year option in 2026.
Watson and McDuffie paired well in Kansas City, with Watson being a big, physical 6-foot-2 corner and McDuffie being the shorter, quicker defensive back who can line up anywhere. They hope to keep things rolling for the Rams this year, continuing all that they built together in Kansas City.
With Watson and McDuffie manning the secondary, the Rams’ cornerback group already looks significantly better than it did last year. It was a clear weakness on defense in 2025 but it should be a strength this season.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Jaylen Watson thought hopes of playing for Rams were dashed after Trent McDuffie deal
Reporting by Cameron DaSilva, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
