Trent McDuffie Explains Greatness of Duo With L’Jarius Sneed

The Kansas City Chiefs' defense was one of the NFL's very best during the regular season, and Steve Spagnuolo's group has parlayed that into postseason success as well. Added depth during the offseason is a key reason why, but the emergence of an elite cornerback duo also helps.

With Trent McDuffie and L'Jarius Sneed at the helm, Kansas City boasts a tremendous combo in the secondary. The two have been top-shelf contributors in 2023-24, with McDuffie even earning All-Pro honors for his performance. While Sneed didn't match him on that list, there's a serious argument to be made that he should have. After all, the two go hand-in-hand in the Chiefs' defense maintaining a fluid operation due to their versatility, athletic profiles and football acumen. 

On Opening Night of Super Bowl LVIII week, McDuffie was asked about what makes the duo of him and Sneed such a great one. According to the former first-round pick, it's a blend of a few factors. 

"We're some dogs," McDuffie told multimedia journalist Mykell Mathieu. "We'll do the dirty work, we'll go line up on an island, we'll go blitz for you, we'll go play safety for you. I mean, you look at LJ's tape, this was the first year he really just played corner. Like, the last three years, he was all over the field. And also, just two dudes who ain't afraid to go up and tackle anybody." 

Between the two of them, McDuffie and Sneed played nearly 2,000 combined snaps in the secondary during the regular season. For the first time in his career, Sneed logged an overwhelming majority of his reps as a boundary cornerback. Some of the names Sneed slowed down this year include Tyreek Hill, Justin Jefferson, Stefon Diggs and more. 

With McDuffie healthy and available all season, it allowed his fourth-year running mate to line up against those No. 1 wideouts. McDuffie essentially flipped his split of slot versus boundary reps in his sophomore campaign, allowing him to do more as a run defender and pass-rushing chess piece. McDuffie picked up Sneed's former do-it-all role and didn't seem to miss a beat, evolving into one of football's more well-rounded corners just after turning 23 years old. The two's box score production was also impressive, as McDuffie notched seven passes broken up and five forced fumbles with Sneed breaking up 14 passes and not surrendering a single touchdown in coverage. 

Sneed is a free agent this offseason, but that isn't stopping the Chiefs from getting the most out of their premier pairing at the cornerback position right now. Other supporting pieces like Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams add depth to the cornerback room, and Kansas City has three more-than-capable safeties (one, Bryan Cook, is injured) as well. McDuffie and Sneed are the proverbial straw that stirs the drink, though. Because of their maturation and consistency, Spagnuolo's group may be the best one on either side of the field for either team in Super Bowl LVIII. Nearly every piece is a hand-in-glove fit, especially the couple of star corners leading the way.