Ranking Brett Veach’s player trades as Kansas City Chiefs GM
By Jacob Milham
6. The Laurent Duvernay-Tardif trade
Chiefs receive: TE Dan Brown
Jets receive: OL Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
A fan favorite in Kansas City, finding a trade partner for offensive guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif was easier said than done.
LDT joined the Chiefs as a sixth-round selection in the 2014 NFL Draft as an unrefined Canadian college prospect. He rewarded the Chiefs with 57 starts in five seasons, shoring up the interior offensive line. Most notably, LDT completed medical school in between seasons, while retaining his roster spot for the Chiefs.
LDT earned a five-year, $41.25 million extension from then-Chiefs general manager John Dorsey in 2017, months before Veach took the role. The extension was not unearned but it became the reason Veach ended LDT’s tenure in Kansas City.
Veach cleared more than $1 million in cap space for the Chiefs in 2021 with the midseason trade. LDT was not active for the Chiefs as it was, since rookie Trey Smith held the starting right guard spot. So the Chiefs sent LDT to the New York Jets for veteran tight end Dan Brown, which created some financial breathing room and roster space. The Chiefs waived Brown less than three weeks later, making it clear why the trade was made. Veach’s ability to move LDT at all was a win.
LDT did start seven games for the Jets in 2021, but he never returned to his peak form. He has left his NFL future open-ended, saying he would like to return to New York, but also has the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes clamoring for his services.