$97 Million Trade Target Pegged as ‘Aggressive’ Solution for Chiefs’ Injury Need

Heavy on Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs appear to be looking into trades for a starting cornerback to replace injured CB Jaylen Watson.

The Kansas City Chiefs and general manager Brett Veach have been particularly proactive ahead of the 2024 trade deadline, acquiring wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and edge rusher Joshua Uche. But according to a note from ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler on October 30, the two-time defending Super Bowl champions might not be done.

“Kansas City addressed two needs with trades… in back-to-back weeks,” Fowler began, acknowledging the deals for Hopkins and Uche. “But cornerback remains a need after Jaylen Watson went down for the season, and the belief is that Kansas City is at least monitoring that market close to the deadline.”

“The Chiefs are not pressed to make a move but will be open to it,” the insider went on, “and their 2025 draft haul is still in good shape after acquiring a third-round pick in the L’Jarius Sneed trade.”

As for a potential win-win trade target at cornerback, Bleacher Report analyst Alex Ballentine suggested an “aggressive move” for New Orleans Saints star Marshon Lattimore.

“The Chiefs already swung a big move to make the trade when they acquired DeAndre Hopkins ahead of the deadline, however, they have enough salary cap flexibility to make another move,” Ballentine wrote on October 28. “Going after a historic third Super Bowl could be motivation enough to really sell out and make an aggressive move… [and] trading the Saints for Marshon Lattimore would certainly qualify.”

“The talented corner could be inserted into the lineup to replace Jaylen Watson, who was just placed on injured reserve,” the NFL analyst explained, adding that “the Saints have strong depth at cornerback and a messy cap situation so trading Lattimore wouldn’t be surprising.”

Can the Chiefs Afford a Saints Trade for Marshon Lattimore?

Lattimore is currently playing out a $97 million contract, so the obvious question is — how can the Chiefs afford him?

“After all of the moves of the past week, the Chiefs now have a grand total of $255,953 in available cap space according to the NFLPA salary cap report,” Chiefs Digest beat reporter Matt Derrick relayed on October 30. “The key takeaway: Brett Veach can still figure out how to make a move, but it won’t be adding anyone with a big base salary.”

That last part is particularly key when it comes to a Lattimore trade. Although the four-time Pro Bowler carries a cap hit over $14.6 million in 2024, his base salary is actually quite low.

According to Over the Cap, Lattimore’s base salary is only $1.21 million in 2024. The Saints appear to have shifted the majority of his cap hit into a signing bonus north of $10.6 million.

Now, it’s important to note that the final years of Lattimore’s contract are a different story. The veteran cornerback’s base salary jumps up to $16 million in 2025 and $16.5 million in 2026 with even larger cap hits, but that’d be a problem for another day.

And if the Chiefs were truly desperate to rid themselves of Lattimore after the 2024 campaign, they could also designate him as a post-June 1 cut or attempt to trade him again — shedding $18 million in cap space in 2025 and another $18.5 million in 2026.

Marshon Lattimore Is Still Playing at a High Level With Saints, Could Help Complete Super Bowl Defense

Kansas City’s defense has been a strength again in 2024, but the one potential area of weakness could be cornerback with Watson on IR. Especially if the Chiefs were to suffer another injury.

Lattimore not only shores up the position, but he also upgrades it.

Pro Football Focus has graded Lattimore a 69.0 or greater in pass coverage in each of the past four seasons, and he’s generally held opposing quarterbacks to a passer rating under 78.0.

Earlier in his career, Lattimore was also known as a ball hawk, and although his interception numbers have decreased a bit with fewer targets coming his way, the Saints star still brings that ability to make plays in clutch moments with 5 interceptions and 29 pass breakups over the past four seasons.

Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo would also appreciate Lattimore’s willingness as a tackler. The veteran has achieved a sub-10.0 missed tackled rate in seven out of his eight NFL campaigns. He’s also recorded 97 key defensive stops throughout his career.