The Kansas City Chiefs missed the playoffs for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes Era last year, and they may look to bounce back without cornerback Kristian Fulton. Originally a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the LSU product spent his early years with the Tennessee Titans before redefining his career with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024.
He parlayed that success into a two-year, $20 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, but he may not make it to the end of that contract. He ultimately didn’t play well enough to justify his salary, as injuries limited him to just eight games and he didn’t look all that great when on the field. With the Chiefs desperate to find ways to get under the salary cap, Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine believes Kansas City could cut Kristian Fulton after just one season.
“[Fulton] has always been a reliable corner in the league, it’s just been a question of durability and consistency,” Ballentine writes. “…Unless the Chiefs believe he’ll be able to play a full season for the first time in his career, they’ll probably free up the cash by releasing him.”
Chiefs Projected to Cut Kristian Fulton
Kristain Fulton might not be the most cost-effective signing in the history of football, but he’s a solid player at an important position. In most circumstances, someone like him wouldn’t be a cut candidate, even though the Chiefs can save $5 million with his release.
However, Kansas City desperately needs to clear cap space. As of this posting, the team is $54.5 million over the projected cap, which is the worst in the league by a considerable margin. Releasing Fulton will not singlehandedly bring the team to salary cap compliance, but it’s a good first step to take. Kansas City must improve the roster if they want to return to the playoffs, especially since Patrick Mahomes could come out of the gate slow as he returns from his season-ending injury. This team must be as efficient as possible with their spending, and Fulton is a bad value.
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