Not long after Trent McDuffie helped the Kansas City Chiefs win the Super Bowl as a rookie, he started looking ahead on the calendar.
He was talking to family, and he recalled that this year’s Super Bowl LVIII would be in Las Vegas. Now his family is back on the big stage to watch McDuffie as he and the Chiefs will play the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.
“I was like, ‘Man, that’ll be cool,’ McDuffie said. “And then now that I’m here and gone through the craziness and trying to get the family out here and everything like that it’s cool to think about how things like this just happen. You dream of stuff like this, and they come to reality.”
This year’s road to the Super Bowl for the Chiefs wasn’t nearly as smooth as last year. The Chiefs lost four of six late in the season as the offense struggled with penalties and turnovers and miscues. But the Chiefs eventually righted the ship and won the division, though they entered the playoffs as the third seed in the AFC.
The Chiefs beat the Dolphins in the wild card round then for the first time under Patrick Mahomes they had to play true road playoff games. The Chiefs first beat two-seed Buffalo and then took down top-seeded Baltimore in the AFC championship game.
McDuffie in just his second season was named first-team All-Pro as he had 80 tackles, three sacks and five forced fumbles to go with seven passes defended. While the Chiefs defense has been good if not great all season, McDuffie said the team has come a long way since Week 1.
“It’s the confidence and the trust we have in each other,” McDuffie said. “We’ve had a whole season to build these relationships and understand how everyone plays and how everyone ticks. And coming up here we’re a big family. We’re always laughing and playing games so it’s a lot of fun being a part of a team like this.”
McDuffie, though, is all business when it comes to football. Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said McDuffie has already become a team leader.
“When you have a guy like Parick Mahomes, who senses the important of the moment, he steps in and says something and that helps the team a lot,” Spagnuolo said. “We have guys like that on defense. Nick Bolton, Chris Jones, Trent McDuffie even as a young guy. LJ Sneed is a quiet leader. But you’ve got to have those guys to win in this league.”
The Chiefs played the 49ers last season in San Francisco and won 44-23 as Mahomes threw for three touchdowns. McDuffie missed the game with a hamstring injury, and 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was then a backup to Jimmy Garoppolo. He came on in relief, completing 4 of 9 passes for 66 yards and an interception.
Purdy eventually became the team’s starter and went 5-0, leading the 49ers to the playoffs. This season Purdy threw 31 touchdowns and guided the 49ers to the one-seed in the NFC. Still, some question Purdy’s ability as he was the last pick in the 2022 draft out of Iowa State.
McDuffie, however, doesn’t see it that way.
“You can’t sleep on anybody,” McDuffie said. “He’s a starting quarterback that is playing for a great team, and they’re in the Super Bowl just like us. So to sleep on somebody or to think that they’re not better than somebody else, that’s your first mistake in this league.”
Last season against the 49ers, Jones had two sacks, and McDuffie believes the Chiefs can get pressure on Purdy. And he’s looking forward to blitzing from the edge if called upon.
“We have a great D-line, and I feel like they got to really (focus) on Chris Jones and George (Karlaftis) and they got to slide a lot of people to different guys,” McDuffie said. “And I feel like beforehand the offense isn’t expecting this sneaky dude, this 5-11, 190 dude to come flying off the edge. But Spags dials it up, and they’ve been working, and I’ve loved it.”
