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Former Second Round Pick Touted as Chiefs Cut-Candidate
Los Angeles Chargers' wide receiver #12 Derius Davis runs with the ball against Kansas City Chiefs' cornerback #35 Jaylen Watson and Kansas City Chiefs' cornerback #8 Kristian Fulton during the NFL game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers at the Neo Quimica Arena Stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on September 5, 2025. (Photo by NELSON ALMEIDA / AFP via Getty Images) Getty
The 2026 offseason saw significant changes made at cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Out went All-Pro Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, both of whom now line up for the Los Angeles Rams, and in came rookie CBs Mansoor Delane and Jaydon Canady, whom the team selected in the first and fourth rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The team also bought back former starter L’Jarius Sneed, who was traded to the Titans back in March 2024 for third and seventh round draft picks after the 29-year old was released by Tennessee two years later in March 2026.
However, as impactful as any of the additions may be the ascension of second-year pro Nohl Williams. Williams is currently projected â somewhat surprisingly â as the starting boundary corner alongside Delane, and according to Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report this could spell a departure for veteran CB Kristian Fulton.
Although Fulton has not been a regular starter in KC during his time with the franchise that commenced in March 2025, the former second round pick’s two-year $20 million free agent deal certainly made it seem like he would be well in the mix at the position.
Kristian Fulton Projected as Cut-Candidate for the Chiefs
But after spending the start of his rookie season injured and much of the rest of it as a healthy scratch , Davenport contends that with the new depth at the position Fulton may be surplus to requirements come the start of the regular season.
“When the Kansas City Chiefs signed cornerback Kristian Fulton last year, it was supposed to be a stabilizing moveâa veteran presence added to the position group a year before what became a seismic shift in personnel.” Davenport wrote . “Now, there’s a real chance Fulton could be out of a job altogether.”
“Rookie first-rounder Mansoor Delane appears likely to start on the boundary, while Nohl Williams and L’Jarius Sneed are the leading candidates for the other outside role. With Kader Kohou projected to handle slot duties, Fulton could enter the season as Kansas City’s fourth cornerback, assuming Spagnuolo views him more favorably than he did last year.”
Does It Make Sense for the Chiefs to Release Fulton?
Whilst Davenport noted that Fulton has not been bad when on the field, his lack of action last season â which saw him start only two games and log just 208 snaps â may not be worth his cap hit this season.
“Fulton wasn’t terrible when he was on the fieldâhis 81.7 passer rating against  was his best since 2021âbut he played just 208 snaps in his first season in Kansas City. And a $13 million cap hit is a lot for a subpackage corner.”
The Chiefs can save $5 million by moving off Fulton, cap space that will no doubt be appreciated by the team whose two-time MVP quarterback is set to don a $90 million cap hit in 2027.
Perhaps the only reason Fulton could remain on the team is a lack of faith in the other boundary options. Teams regularly keep at least four non-slot cornerbacks on the roster, with many franchise retaining as many as five or six.
Beyond Fulton, the Chiefs have two rookie UDFAs, 2025 UDFA Melvin Smith Jr. and former first round pick Kair Elam, who has failed to establish himself in the league thus far. The Chiefs would have to have reasonably strong faith in Elam and their youth, or be prepared to make moves for other corners around the league, if they are to move off Fulton.
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Kansas City ChiefsOutAllPro Trent McDuffieJaylen WatsonLos Angeles RamsCBs Mansoor DelaneJaydon CanadyFormer Second Round Pick ToutedChiefs CutCandidateHEAVY
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