Look, nobody expected the Kristian Fulton and the Chiefs marriage to be this quiet. When Kansas City shelled out a two-year, $20 million contract in March 2025, the vibe was clear. They wanted a veteran who could plug the hole left by L'Jarius Sneed and help Trent McDuffie carry the load.
It hasn't exactly gone to plan.
Honestly, the 2025 season was a bit of a nightmare for Fulton fans. He spent months stashed away as a healthy scratch or buried on the injury report. While guys like Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams were battling it out, Fulton was basically the invisible man of the secondary. For a guy making $10 million a year, that’s a tough pill for the front office to swallow.
But then Week 17 happened.
The Weird Turn for Kristian Fulton and the Chiefs
Everything changed when the Denver Broncos came to town in late December. With the secondary banged up and the Chiefs' season in a tailspin—partly because Patrick Mahomes was out with a torn ACL—Fulton finally got his shot on the boundary.
He actually looked... good?
It was the kind of performance that makes a GM rethink their entire offseason strategy. Before that game, the consensus in Kansas City was that Fulton was a "dead man walking" cap casualty for 2026. Brett Veach is usually pretty ruthless with veteran contracts that don't produce, and Fulton’s $13 million cap hit for the upcoming season is a massive hurdle.
Yet, Andy Reid didn't shy away from the praise. He noted that Fulton looked healthy for the first time in forever.
Why the contract is a headache
Let's talk numbers because they're kind of gross. Fulton’s deal included $15 million in total guarantees. Because $5 million of his 2026 salary is already locked in, cutting him isn't as simple as just deleting a name from the roster.
- 2026 Cap Hit: $13,000,000
- Dead Money if Cut: $8,000,000
- Potential Savings: $5,000,000
If they cut him, they’re still paying him $8 million to play for someone else. That’s a lot of "dead air" on a budget that is already stretched thin. If they find a trade partner? That’s the dream. A trade would save the Chiefs $10 million against the cap, but finding a team willing to take on a $10 million salary for a corner with an extensive injury history is easier said than done.
The Spagnuolo Factor
Steve Spagnuolo’s system isn't something you just "learn" over a weekend. It’s dense. It’s aggressive.
Earlier in the 2025 season, Spags admitted that Fulton was "really a rookie in the system" because he missed so much time in training camp. You can't just throw a guy out there in a complex blitz-heavy scheme if he doesn't know where his help is. That explains why he was sitting behind undrafted rookies like Kevin Knowles and Nohl Williams for most of the year.
It’s sorta frustrating to see a veteran get outplayed by kids, but that’s the Chiefs' way. They develop young DBs better than almost anyone in the league.
What happens next?
The Chiefs are heading into an offseason where they are projected to be well over the salary cap. Something has to give.
With Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams both hitting free agency, the Chiefs have a choice: pay the young guys they know or stick with the expensive veteran who finally showed a pulse in Week 17. Honestly, the late-season surge from Fulton might have been the best audition he could have asked for. If he can prove that the injuries are behind him, he provides a level of veteran stability that a bunch of rookies just can't match.
But don't be surprised if the Chiefs still look to move him. If a team like the Lions or the Jaguars needs a bridge corner and is willing to send a late-round pick to KC, Veach would probably jump at the chance to clear that $10 million in cash.
Actionable Insights for the Offseason
If you're following the roster moves this spring, keep an eye on these specific triggers:
- The March Roster Bonus: If Fulton is still on the roster by the start of the league year, it’s a strong sign the Chiefs are keeping him or have a trade lined up.
- Free Agent Extensions: If the Chiefs manage to re-sign Jaylen Watson early, Fulton becomes almost 100% expendable.
- The Draft: Look at the first two rounds. If the Chiefs go CB early again, Fulton’s time in Kansas City is effectively over.
The situation with Kristian Fulton and the Chiefs is a classic NFL gamble. Sometimes you pay for pedigree and get a Pro Bowl season; other times, you pay for a name and spend the whole year wondering why he's on the sideline. The next few months will decide if Fulton is a part of the Chiefs' rebuild or just another expensive lesson in free agency.