KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The NFL trade deadline arrived Tuesday afternoon with the Chiefs surprise sellers at the end, sending cornerback Rashad Fenton to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a conditional seventh-round draft choice.
The Chiefs wasted no time in filling Fenton’s spot on the 53-player roster, activating cornerback Trent McDuffie from injured reserve. McDuffie’s 21-day window to practice after being designated to return was due to expire on Tuesday.
Fenton began the season as one of the team’s starters at cornerback opposite L’Jarius Sneed. He sat out the team’s last two games against Buffalo and San Francisco with a hamstring injury. In five games, Fenton tallied 24 total tackles with two passes broken up.
A sixth-round selection for the Chiefs in the 2019 NFL Draft, Fenton is in the final year of his rookie contract with a base salary of $2.53 million. The Chiefs will avoid paying almost $1.49 million in prorated salary. The NFLPA salary cap report showed the Chiefs with $3,390,037 in available cap room on Tuesday morning.
Fenton played in 47 regular-season games for the Chiefs during the past four seasons including 16 starts. He picked up 123 total tackles in his career with two interceptions, two forced fumbles and 20 passes defended. He was also a part of the Super Bowl LIV championship team and played in six playoff games for Kansas City with 16 total tackles and three passes defended. He picked off a pass in the team’s 38-24 over Buffalo in the AFC Championship game following the 2020 season.
The departure of Fenton leaves the Chiefs with a lineup of Sneed, McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Joshua Williams, Chris Lammons and Nazeeh Johnson at the cornerback position. Watson filled in as a starter in the absence of McDuffie while William stepped in as a nickel back with Fenton out during the past two games.
