A new report on Wednesday reveals that the New York Giants came just moments away from completing a trade for rising defensive star Trent McDuffie.
After a poor 4-13 finish and third consecutive loss on the season, there is actually real hope and excitement for NY Giants fans heading into the 2026 campaign. This is due to the hiring of former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh.
While the Ravens fired Harbaugh earlier this year, it was due to him not reaching the high standard he had set over the past 18 seasons, not because he wasn't coaching at a high level. Harbaugh has led the Ravens to the playoffs in 12 of his 18 seasons, won 10 or more games 11 times (12 two seasons ago), and has a Super Bowl championship on his resume.
Harbaugh is expected to get more out of this roster than Brian Daboll has in the last four years. However, the NY Giants still need more impact players if they hope to become a playoff contender in 2026. And it seems they had their eye on one of the game's best young cornerbacks to help improve those chances.
NY Giants were close to trading Trent McDuffie
Kansas City Star NFL reporter Sam McDowell revealed, "I'm told the Trent McDuffie trade came down to the Rams and Giants. In the end, the Rams were the team that was willing to give up a first-round plus."
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Rams completed a blockbuster trade for the 2025 All-Pro and two-time Super Bowl champion. In the deal, the Kansas City Chiefs received a first-round pick (No. 29), fifth- and sixth-rounders in next month's NFL Draft, and a third-rounder next year.
McDuffie is in the final year of his rookie contract and is expected to get a new long-term deal that will pay him around $30 million annually. McDuffie would have been a huge contribution to a NY Giants secondary that was terrible last season. Although they didn't complete a trade, it's good to see the front office looking to make big, bold moves to fix one of the team's biggest issues in 2025.
