And just like that, the most tumultuous Kansas City Chiefs season in recent history is finally over. The playoffs have been off the menu for a few weeks, and now the Chiefs can finally focus on the upcoming NFL offseason after falling 14-12 to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 18. Head coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach will be looking to make plenty of changes in the coming months, and K.C. fans may wonder what that might mean for Kristian Fulton.
After all, it wasn't that long ago when some Chiefs fans were eager to get rid of Fulton in the offseason. The veteran cornerback spent much of the early campaign on the sidelines, whether he was injured or a healthy scratch, opening the door to speculate if signing the ex-Los Angeles Charger to a two-year, $20 million contract was a massive mistake.
But as legendary rock singer Axl Rose once sang, "All we need is just a little patience." Fulton has completely flipped the script on his outlook in recent weeks, and Week 18 continued that trend, making him someone whom the Chiefs might actually be tempted to bring back next season.
Kristian Fulton Deserves Another Shot with Chiefs as Improved Play Continues
Fulton was in shutdown mode against the Raiders on Sunday, giving up only one catch on five targets for 11 yards. It was the second consecutive one-reception performance by the ex-LSU Tiger, who's now surrendered just 6-of-14 targets (42.9%) for 86 yards since retaking a prominent role in Week 16, picking up four pass break-ups along the way. That's without mentioning how he's also allowed only 24 yards after the catch during that stretch.
Fulton's late-season turnaround is impressive, but it does raise questions about his future. On one hand, it'd be amazing if the version of himself that's shown up the last three weeks is the same Fulton who shows up in Week 1. On the other hand, the last three QBs he's faced are Cam Ward, Bo Nix, and Aidan O'Connell, which isn't exactly the 'who's who' of elite gunslingers in the NFL. There's a chance that he'll crumble if he's given a big role against tougher threats.
Still, it's those games against weaker arms that can help build up Fulton's confidence. He wasn't able to get that when he was riding the bench, so the fact that he's now seen some action and played well during it could see him hit the ground running in training camp, proving that he can be the player the Chiefs hoped he could be when they put pen to paper last offseason.
With fellow CBs Joshua Williams, Nazeeh Johnson, and Jaylen Watson all due to hit free agency, the Chiefs might be more than willing to run things back with Fulton — especially now that his play is on the rise. Trent McDuffie was lost to the injured reserve due to a season-ending knee injury, so there's no telling how he'll recover, and while Nohl Williams oozes talent, he's still lacking experience.
By bringing back Fulton, even if he can't perfectly replicate his latest success, the Chiefs will have another proven name they can call upon in the secondary. If his recently improved play is the new norm, great. If not, he'll be a free agent following the 2026 season, easily allowing Kansas City to wash its hands of him.
At the end of the day, Fulton's turnaround might be too tempting for the Chiefs to ignore. Hopefully, he can reward that temptation by proving that he's worth the $13 million cap hit he's set to command next season.