The Los Angeles Rams made one of the biggest splashes in the offseason, acquiring Trent McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs in a blockbuster deal. It was no secret that the Rams needed to upgrade their secondary, and this did so in a big way by trading for McDuffie.
McDuffie, a southern California native, and the Rams subsequently agreed on a lucrative four-year extension that made him the highest-paid defensive back in the NFL. With McDuffie patrolling the backend, Los Angeles’ defense is expected to take a major leap forward come the 2026 season.
While the regular season is still months away, Rams fans were given something to look out for as McDuffie’s No. 22 jersey was officially unveiled, via the Rams’ official X:
Hot off the press. 😮💨@trent_mcduffie 🤝 #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/dREeIhKvDk
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) April 16, 2026
Blake Corum previously wore No. 22 for Los Angeles but will reportedly be switching to No. 24, via Nate Atkins of The Athletic:
For those wondering, Blake Corum does have a new number — #24, per team source. His college number of 2 belongs to Jaylen McCollough.
Trent McDuffie keeps his number after joining the Rams. https://t.co/AChT2kKdEY
— Nate Atkins (@NateAtkins_) April 16, 2026
It’s commonplace to see new players request numbers from teammates, though it’s unknown if McDuffie owed Corum anything for the switch. Regardless, McDuffie gets to keep his Chiefs number while Corum dons a new one that closely reflects his old one.
The Rams are signaling to the rest of the league that they’re all-in on a Super Bowl championship this upcoming year. Los Angeles was close to representing the NFC this past year, but the inability to slow down the Seattle Seahawks’ passing game doomed their chances.
McDuffie offers a considerable boost to a young and talented defense featuring the likes of Jared Verse, Kobie Turner and Byron Young. However, Los Angeles also gave him the perfect running mate in Jaylen Watson who was his partner back in Kansas City.
Matthew Stafford returning for one more season gives the Rams every reason to be aggressive the rest of the offseason in search of roster upgrades, so it’ll be exciting to see who joins the organization next week after the 2026 NFL Draft.
Sean McVay compares Trent McDuffie acquisition to Jalen Ramsey
The Rams are well-known around the NFL for going out of their way to acquire star talent. For example, Los Angeles happily parted away with first-round picks in a blockbuster deal for Jalen Ramsey and it ended up working out for both sides.
Head coach Sean McVay was excited when news broke that the Rams landed McDuffie and he later compared the situation to Ramsey’s.
