On the first day of the Kansas City Chiefs’ offseason workout program, cornerback Trent McDuffie outlined his long-term aspiration with the franchise.

“I love the city. I love the coaches, love my teammates. I would love to be back with the team,” he said. “If it’s a long-term deal, I’d be ecstatic. That’s for sure.”

McDuffie will be entering the last year of his four-year, $14 million rookie deal, though the team does have a fifth-year option in 2026 when he would officially become an unrestricted free agent.

“I’m sure at some point here (with) George (Karlaftis) and Trent,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said, “we’re going to have dialogue with them.”

The price to extend McDuffie, however, will be steep.

Cornerback Jaycee Horn signed a four-year, $100 million contract, including $72 million guaranteed, with the Carolina Panthers in March. A week later McDuffie’s 2022 draft classmate, cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., reset the market by signing a three-year, $90 million contract with the Houston Texans, including $89 million guaranteed.

And McDuffie could be on the verge of a career year.

During his exit interview with defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, McDuffie learned he would be moving back inside to the nickel cornerback position, where he played while L’Jarius Sneed traveled with the No. 1 receiver, a good portion of the time in 2025.

That move back inside is facilitated in part by the addition of cornerback Kristian Fulton, who the Chiefs signed to a two-year, $20 million contract.

“It just gives you more flexibility to do that,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said. “Trent is such a good inside player … and Spags likes using him in there.”

Nickel cornerback is where McDuffie starred in 2023 , blitzing frequently, recording three sacks, forcing five fumbles and earning first-team, All-Pro honors.

“I had a lot of fun,” McDuffie said. “Anytime I was at nickel, I was always praying that I was blitzing just because Spags has some great blitzes dialed up for us.”

Since the Chiefs drafted McDuffie in 2022, all he’s known is Super Bowls, going to three straight.

Before embarking on that remarkable postseason journey, McDuffie got a hotel room with family instead of going to the 2022 NFL Draft in Las Vegas because didn’t think he’d be selected in the first round — let alone by the Chiefs.

“I didn’t know that was a team that was looking at me,” he said.

And when the Chiefs called and he spoke with Veach and Spagnuolo, he didn’t even know who they were.

Now he’s become a devoted pupil of Spagnuolo, adopting the old-school practice of writing down notes in a bound notebook during the defense’s initial virtual meetings this week.

Along with further mastering the defense, his offseason goal has been to get faster rather than stronger. He’s eschewed exercises like heavy back squats in favor of daily speed work.

That could result in another great year for the 24-year-old cornerback and potentially earn him a lucrative extension — a reward that Sneed and Charvarius Ward, two talented cornerbacks, didn’t receive from the Chiefs.

“As long as I’m producing on the field, as long as I’m maximizing every opportunity and putting my best foot forward, at the end of the day, whatever they choose, I can live with,” McDuffie said. “If they want to sign me, I would love to. If they don’t, I mean, there’s nothing but love for Kansas City.”