The cornerback market is a weird one. There is still a great divide between outside corners and slot defenders. Kyler Gordon of the Bears is currently the highest-paid nickel in the NFL, and his $13,333,333 APY is less than half of the top outside player—Sauce Gardner at $30,100,000.
This makes Trent McDuffie such a fascinating player and negotiation to watch. Not because McDuffie is still playing in the slot at a high rate—just 20% of his snaps this year have come inside. That’s a huge departure from his 2023 season, which was perhaps his best, when he lined up in the slot around 50% of the time.