Trae Waynes (born July 25, 1992) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was a

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the

Michigan State Spartans The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic teams that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 23 Varsity team, varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan Army, Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the sc ...

. He was selected by the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...

in the first round, 11th overall of the

2015 NFL draft The 2015 NFL draft was the 80th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football, football players. It took place in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre and in Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park ...

. He also spent time with the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...

Early life

Waynes attended Harborside Academy but played for Mary D. Bradford High School in

Kenosha, Wisconsin Kenosha () is a city in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Wisconsin, fourth-most populous city in Wisconsin, with a population of 99,986 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. S ...

, because Harborside Academy doesn't have sports where he was teammate and best friend of

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...

Melvin Gordon, who would eventually be selected four spots after Waynes in the

. At Bradford, Waynes was a multi-sport athlete in

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

and track. In

, Waynes was named first-team All-Southeast Conference as a junior in 2010. As a senior, he broke his fibula and tore ligaments in his ankle, but still managed to record 38

tackles Tackle may refer to: * In football: ** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football ** Tackle (gridiron football position) A tackle is a playing position in American football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent ...

, two

interceptions In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team bu ...

and four pass break-ups, earning first-team All-state and All-region selections by the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association. In

, Waynes earned first-team All-county honors as an

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...

as a junior in 2010 after leading the Red Devils in

home runs In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run ...

(3) and finishing second in

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

(.452, 28-of-62). In addition, he also produced eight doubles and three

triples TripleS (; ; stylized as tripleS) is a South Korean 24-member multinational girl group formed by Modhaus. They aim to be the world's first decentralized idol group, where the members will rotate between the full group, sub-units, and solo activi ...

while being caught stealing only once in 26 attempts. Waynes was also a standout track & field athlete. In 2010, he won the county indoor track championship in the 60-yard and 220-yard dashes and recorded the fastest

40-yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed and acceleration of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time can have a he ...

time (4.37 s) at the Midwest Ultimate 100 Camp. In 2011, he finished third in the 100m (10.85 s) at the Division I State T&F Championships, and recorded a career-best time of 10.75 seconds in the

100-meter dash The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at ...

at the SEC Outdoor Conference Meet, where he placed first. He also contributed as a member of the 4 × 100m and 4 × 200-meter relay squads, with bests of 42.26 seconds and 1:28.98 minutes. Considered a three-star recruit by

ESPN.com ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN. It is owned by ESPN Internet Ventures, a division of ESPN Inc. History Since launching in April 1995 as ESPNET.SportsZone.com (ESPNET SportsZone), the website has developed numerous sections including ...

, Waynes was listed as the No. 94

safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...

in the nation in 2011. He was rated the No. 72

and No. 94 safety in the nation by Scouts Inc. He was listed among the Midwest's top prospects by SuperPrep at No. 67. He was also rated among

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

's top high school seniors by Rivals.com as the No. 14. Waynes chose Michigan State over scholarship offers from

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

, Iowa State, and

, among others.

College career

2011–2013

Waynes attended

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...

from 2011 to 2014, where he was a three-year letterwinner and a two-year starter at cornerback. He was

redshirted Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, aligning with the ...

as a

true freshman The following terms are used in American football, both conventional and indoor. Some of these terms are also in use in Canadian football; for a list of terms unique to that code, see '' Glossary of Canadian football''. 0–9 ...

in 2011 after suffering a season-ending injury when he broke his fibula and tore ligaments in his knee as a senior in high school. As a redshirt freshman in 2012, Waynes earned his first letter as he appeared in nine games, primarily on

special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their position. Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...

and as a backup. In the

2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl The 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, the 24th edition of the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, although the first played under that name, was a post-season American college football bowl game held on December 29, 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season, 201 ...

game against

TCU TCU may stand for: Education * Tanzania Commission for Universities, regulatory body for Universities in Tanzania * Texas Christian University, a private university in Fort Worth, Texas ** TCU Horned Frogs, the athletic programs of the school * Tok ...

, he played a majority of the snaps at cornerback and tallied a season-high three tackles; he was also credited with a half

sack A sack usually refers to a rectangular-shaped bag. Sack may also refer to: Bags * Flour sack * Gunny sack * Hacky sack, sport * Money sack * Paper sack * Sleeping bag * Stuff sack * Knapsack Other uses * Bed, a slang term * Sack (band), ...

for a loss of 1 yard against the Horned Frogs. Waynes finished his freshman season with 5 tackles, including two solo. As a redshirt sophomore in 2013, Waynes started all 14 games at field cornerback for the Spartans, recording a career-high 50 tackles (1.5 for loss), five pass deflections and three interceptions. For his season efforts, Waynes was an honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference pick by the coaches and media, was named to the CollegeFootballNews.com All-Sophomore Team (second team) and received MSU's Tommy Love Award (most improved player on defense). In the Spartans 2013 Big Ten Football Championship Game win against No. 2

Ohio State The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one of the largest universities by enrollme ...

, he was credited with four stops. In the 2014 Rose Bowl game against No. 5

Stanford Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth governor of and th ...

, he recorded his third interception of the season and tallied three tackles, helping Michigan State win their first Rose Bowl since

1988 1988 was a crucial year in the early history of the Internet—it was the year of the first well-known computer virus, the Morris worm, 1988 Internet worm. The first permanent intercontinental Internet link was made between the United State ...

2014

Waynes returned for his junior season in 2014, starting all 13 games at boundary corner. He ranked sixth on the team with 46 tackles, including two tackles-for-loss and one sack for a loss of 4 yards. His career-high eight pass break-ups ranked him second on the team, while his three interceptions were good for a tie at second. In Week 5, he led the secondary in a victory over No. 19

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

as he posted career-highs in interceptions (2), tackles (7) and pass break-ups (2). On September 6, he had a solid game against No. 3

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

with four tackles and a pass break-up. He was credited with a career-high two tackles for loss (9 yards), including a 4-yard sack, and a broken-up a pass at

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

in Week 7. On November 22, he was selected Spartan Defensive Player of the Week after limiting

Rutgers Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College and was aff ...

' wide receiver Leonte Carroo to just one catch for 6 yards while recording three tackles; Carroo entered the game ranked second in the Big Ten, averaging 93.3 receiving yards per game. In Waynes's final game as a Spartan, he registered three tackles and a pass break-up in the

Cotton Bowl Classic The Cotton Bowl Classic (also known as the Cotton Bowl) is an American college football bowl game played annually in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex since January 1, 1937. The game was originally played at its Cotton Bowl (stadium), namesake ...

win over #4 Baylor. His junior season honors included being named second-team

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

Walter Camp Football Foundation The Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF) is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit ...

Sporting News ''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...

and

Athlon Sports Parade Media (previously known as AMG/Parade and Athlon Media Group) is a publisher founded in 1967 that is based in Nashville, Tennessee. Nashville's Spencer Hays was its majority stockholder. It was purchased by The Arena Group in 2022 and no ...

, third-team All-American from the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

(AP),

Phil Steele Phil Steele (c. 1960) is an American sportswriter and analyst who focuses exclusively on college and professional football. He is considered a "highly respected prognosticator" within the sports media. His company, Phil Steele Publications, pro ...

and SI.com (honorable mention). He was also a first-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and the media, becoming MSU's third first-team All-Big Ten cornerback under head coach

Mark Dantonio Mark Justin Dantonio (born March 9, 1956) is an American college football coach and former player. His most recent head coaching position was at Michigan State University, a position he had held from 2007 to 2019. He led the Michigan State Spar ...

. Waynes was one of 15 semifinalists for the

Jim Thorpe Award The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport athlete Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athle ...

(nation's top defensive back) and was the defensive recipient of MSU's Jim Adams Award (unsung hero). Waynes collected 101 tackles, six interceptions and 13 pass deflections in 36 career games with the Spartans, including 27 consecutive starts.

College statistics

Professional career

Pre-draft

Following his junior season, Waynes entered the 2015 NFL Draft. Waynes was considered one of the top cornerbacks of the 2015 class, together with

Marcus Peters Marcus Peters (born January 9, 1993) is an American professional football cornerback. He was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft and has also been a member of the Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Ravens, and ...

. In most mock drafts, he was projected to be a top 10 pick. Waynes shined at the 2015 NFL Combine, where he posted the top

time among defensive backs and the second fastest overall (4.31 seconds); that time placed him tied for seventh-fastest among cornerbacks at the combine since 2003. He also finished tied for fourth on the

bench press The bench press or chest press is a weight training exercise where a person presses a weight upwards while lying horizontally on a weight training bench. The bench press is a Compound movements, compound movement, with the primary muscles involved ...

with 19 reps. At his

Pro Day The NFL draft, officially known as the Annual Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the most common source of player recruitment in the National Football League. Each team is given a position in the drafting order in reve ...

, he re-tried the 20-yard shuttle and responded with a 4.18 time.

Minnesota Vikings

2015

The

selected Waynes in the first round (11th overall) of the

. Waynes was the first cornerback drafted in 2015 and became the Vikings' highest drafted cornerback in franchise history, surpassing

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

first round pick (18th overall) Dewayne Washington. On May 7, 2015, the Vikings signed Waynes to a fully guaranteed four-year, $12.94 million contract that includes a

signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...

of $7.67 million. Throughout

training camp A training camp is an organized period in which military personnel or athletes participate in a rigorous and focused schedule of training in order to learn or improve skills. Athletes typically utilise training camps to prepare for upcoming events ...

, Waynes competed against Captain Munnerlyn,

Terence Newman Terence Newman (born September 4, 1978) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a cornerback for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, and Minnesota Vik ...

, and Josh Robinson to be a starting cornerback. Head coach Mike Zimmer named Waynes the fourth cornerback on the depth chart to begin the regular season, behind Xavier Rhodes, Newman, and Munnerlyn. He made his professional regular season debut in the Vikings' season-opening 20–3 loss at the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...

. In Week 9, he recorded four solo tackles and made a season-high two pass deflections during a 21–18 win against the

St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1995 through the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, California, where the team had played ...

. Waynes was inactive for the Vikings' Week 12 loss at the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...

due to an ankle injury. On December 10, 2015, Waynes earned his first career start as a nickelback after Terence Newman was moved to safety due to multiple injuries. Waynes finished the 23–20 loss at the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...

with a season-high five solo tackles and one pass deflection. Waynes finished his rookie season in 2015 with 30 combined tackles (26 solo) and four pass deflections in 15 games and one start. According to ''

Pioneer Press The Pioneer Press publishes 32 local newspapers in the Chicago area. It is a division of Tribune Publishing, and is based in Chicago. The community newspapers are the main source of local news in Illinois communities such as Winnetka, Highland ...

'' Vikings beat reporter Chris Tomasson, Waynes was the least-used rookie of Minnesota's 18 first-round picks since 2000, except linebacker Chad Greenway, who missed his 2006 rookie season due to a knee injury. The Vikings finished first in the

NFC North The National Football Conference – Northern Division or NFC North is one of the four divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed the "Black and Blue Division" for the rough and toug ...

with an 11–5 record and earned a playoff berth. On January 10, 2016, Waynes appeared in his first career playoff game and recorded three combined tackles, made two pass deflections, and an interception as the Vikings lost 10–9 to the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...

in the NFC Wildcard Game. Waynes was thrust into a pivotal pass defense role during the second half after veteran cornerback

suffered an ankle injury. On the Seahawks' first series of the third quarter, quarterback

Russell Wilson Russell Carrington Wilson (born November 29, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He has primarily played for the Seattle Seahawks. With the Sea ...

promptly targeted Waynes and attempted a deep pass to rookie wide receiver

Tyler Lockett Tyler Deron Lockett (born September 28, 1992) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats. He played 10 seasons in t ...

, but it was broken up by Waynes. Five plays later on a fourth-and-three situation, Waynes intercepted Wilson at the Vikings' 22-yard line after the ball was tipped by a Seahawks' tight end.

2016

During training camp, Waynes competed to be a starting cornerback against Newman, Munnerlyn, and rookie Mackensie Alexander. Zimmer named Waynes the third cornerback on the depth chart to start the regular season, behind Rhodes and Terence Newman. Waynes was inserted as the No. 1 cornerback for the first two regular season games after Rhodes sustained a

hamstring A hamstring () is any one of the three posterior thigh muscles in human anatomy between the hip and the knee: from medial to lateral, the semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris. Etymology The word " ham" is derived from the Old ...

injury during pre-game warmups against the Titans. He started in the Vikings' season-opener at the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...

and collected a season-high ten solo tackles during their 25–16 victory. The following week, Waynes was moved to nickelback and replaced at outside cornerback by Alexander after drawing consecutive penalties in the third quarter and struggling to cover wide receiver

Jordy Nelson Jordy Ray Nelson (born May 31, 1985) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons with the Green Bay Packers and the Oakland Raiders. He played ...

. Waynes finished the Vikings' 17–14 win against the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

with four solo tackles, one pass deflection, and an interception. His interception off a pass by Packers' quarterback

Aaron Rodgers Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears foo ...

was the first interception in

U.S. Bank Stadium U.S. Bank Stadium is an enclosed stadium located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. Built on the former site of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, the indoor stadium opened in 2016 and is the home of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Footbal ...

. On December 11, 2016, Waynes recorded one tackle and broke up a pass before exiting in the third quarter of the Vikings' 25–16 win at the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...

due to a

concussion A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include headache, dizziness, difficulty with thinking and concentration, sleep disturbances, a brief ...

. The following week, Waynes remained in concussion protocol and was inactive for their Week 15 loss against the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...

. In Week 17, he recorded two solo tackles, made a season-high three pass deflections, and made one interception during a 38–10 victory against the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

. He finished the season with 50 combined tackles (42 solo), 11 pass deflections, and three interceptions in 15 games and eight starts.

2017

Waynes entered training camp slated as a starting cornerback. Zimmer retained Waynes and Rhodes as the starting cornerback tandem to begin the regular season. He started in the Vikings' season-opener against the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

and collected a season-high 11 combined tackles (nine solo) during a 29–19 victory. On December 23, 2017, Waynes recorded three solo tackles, made a pass deflection, and made his first career sack during a 16–0 win at the

in Week 16. Waynes sacked Packers' quarterback

Brett Hundley Brett Alan Hundley Jr. (born June 15, 1993) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins football, UCLA Bruins, where he was the school's career leader in both total of ...

for a four-yard loss in the third quarter. Waynes started in all 16 games in 2017 and recorded 65 combined tackles (57 solo), 11 pass deflections, two interceptions, and one sack. Waynes received an overall grade of 79.1 from Pro Football Focus in 2017. His grade was ranked 52nd among all qualifying cornerbacks in 2017. The Vikings finished the season first in the

with a 13–3 record and earned a first round bye. On January 14, 2018, Waynes started his first career playoff game and recorded four solo tackles and broke up one pass during a 29–24 win against the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Divisional Round. The following week, he made three combined tackles and broke up a pass as the Vikings were eliminated from the playoffs after a 38–7 loss at the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

in the

NFC Championship Game The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semifinal National Football League playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional Ame ...

2018

On April 30, 2018, the Vikings exercised the fifth-year, $9.06 million option on Waynes' rookie contract. Defensive coordinator George Edwards retained Waynes and Rhodes as the starting cornerback tandem entering training camp. Zimmer officially named Waynes and Rhodes the starters to begin the regular season, alongside safeties Harrison Smith and Andrew Sendejo. Waynes was inactive for the Vikings' Week 5 victory at the Eagles after spraining his ankle the previous week. In Week 7, Waynes recorded three combined tackles, made a career-high four pass deflections, and intercepted a pass by Jets' quarterback

Sam Darnold Sam Richard Darnold (born June 5, 1997) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans football, USC Trojans, winn ...

during a 37–17 win at the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...

2019

In week 7 against the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...

, Waynes recorded his first interception of the season off

Matthew Stafford John Matthew Stafford (born February 7, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs football, Georg ...

in the 42–30 win.

Cincinnati Bengals

On March 27, 2020, Waynes signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the

. On September 7, 2020, he was placed on

injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...

with a pectoral injury. He was moved to the reserve/

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

list on November 6, 2020, and activated from the list back to injured reserve on November 18. After missing the first three games with a hamstring injury, he made his Bengals debut in Week 4 of the 2021 season. He started the next two games before re-injuring the hamstring injury in Week 5. He was placed on injured reserve on October 12. He was activated on December 18. Waynes remained on the roster and active throughout the Bengals' playoff run and in

Super Bowl LVI Super Bowl LVI was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2021 NFL season, 2021 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion 2021 Los Angeles Rams season, Los Angeles ...

, though only playing very few select special teams snaps. On March 21, 2022, Waynes was released by the Bengals. In a June 20 interview, Waynes noted that he was no longer interested in continuing his NFL career, saying 'In my head, I'm done.'

NFL career statistics

References

External links

Michigan State Spartans bio
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Waynes, Trae 1992 births Living people American football cornerbacks Cincinnati Bengals players Michigan State Spartans football players Minnesota Vikings players Players of American football from Kenosha, Wisconsin Mary D. Bradford High School alumni