For all of the versions of an All-Star team thrown around at the end of another season in the National Football League (usually called an All-Pro team after the official Associated Press version), it's nice to see at least one group of selectors or voters get things right in 2024.
For reaosns that are beyond us, Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie has been overlooked in nearly every postseason breakdown in 2024. The good news is that the folks at Pro Football Focus have honored him as a first-team All-Pro corner alongside Patrick Surtain II of the Denver Broncos.
It's amazing that any group could overlook McDuffie at all, but here we are. He not only plays on a team that is in primetime on a regular basis, giving him a much brighter spotlight or platform than most defenders will ever receive, but that same team is insanely popular. Its players have a fairly quick portal to becoming household names.
Trent McDuffie finally received his due on at least one All-Pro list.
Beyond the team's own status, McDuffie was often the best player on the field on a defense that carried the league's best team for much of the season. Steve Spagnuolo earned so much praise this year for having a unit that yielded such exemplary play and so much of that leaned on McDuffie's ability to shut down opposing receivers.
Even beyond that is the fact that McDuffie was largely operating on his own as the team figured out the best running mates to pair with him. L'Jarius Sneed, who helped to lead the unit and carry the load in the secondary, was traded away in the offseason. Then just as Jaylen Watson was looking like a long-term asset on the outside, he was lost for the season due to injury.
PFF not only gave him high marks in pass coverage but also graded him as well-rounded. "McDuffie has improved every season in the league and set career-highs in both run-defense and PFF coverage grades in his third season out of Washington."
Beyond McDuffie, PFF honored three other members of the Chiefs as All-Pro members. Creed Humphrey was the first-team center and Chris Jones was the first-team defensive tackle. Joe Thuney joined them as a second-team guard.
