Kansas City Chiefs rookie CB Trent McDuffie was off to a blazing start to his young career before he got injured in Week 1.
The hamstring injury against the Arizona Cardinals took the promising young cornerback out for six games. When he returned against the Tennessee Titans in Week 9, he picked up right where he left off.
McDuffie appeared in 96% of the total defensive snaps in Week 9, showing that he is no longer limited by the hamstring in any way. His performance was also top-notch. He wasn’t targeted once in 21 coverage snaps in his first NFL game back in Week 1. The rookie corner played 24 coverage snaps in Week 9 against Tennessee on Sunday night. Titans QB Malik Willis targeted McDuffie twice in those 24 coverage snaps and he didn’t allow a single reception according to PFF.
After the game, the rookie corner spoke about what it meant to get back out there and play.
“Man, it was so much fun,” McDuffie told reporters. “I kept saying it, even last week — San Fran (San Francisco 49ers) week — I’m like ‘man, I just miss being out there with the boys.’ I miss being in the crowd, so finally getting back here and having a game like this, the leg felt good and it’s a big confidence boost going forward.”
Through 45 career coverage snaps, McDuffie is allowing just a 36.9 passer rating into his coverage. It’s a small sample size, but it shows you that he’s exactly the type of corner that Kansas City hoped he would be when they drafted him.
While this past game didn’t feature the best receiver or quarterback matchups, it did allow McDuffie to get his feet under him in his return from injury. That could prove valuable for the rookie moving forward as he continues to improve and play more snaps.
