The Kansas City Chiefs are gearing up for a very important game on Sunday afternoon against the Baltimore Ravens. The two supposed Super Bowl contenders enter this game 1-2, highlighting the importance of a win this weekend. Needless to say, all hands must be on deck.
The Chiefs will need to be as healthy as possible to beat the Ravens and the Lamar Jackson-led offense. Thankfully, Chiefs Kingdom received some positive news on Wednesday. According to Nate Taylor of ESPN, head coach Andy Reid said every player on the active roster is expected to participate in today's practice.
Reid's revelation included cornerback Kristian Fulton, who missed Week 3 with an ankle injury. Needless to say, Fulton's return to practice and possible availability for Sunday is a great sign for the Chiefs' defense.
Chiefs CB Kristian Fulton Could Return in Week 4
This offseason, Kansas City signed Fulton to a two-year deal worth $20 million. Although the 27-year-old was brought in to bolster their secondary, some fans were skeptical given his injury history. In his five previous NFL seasons, Fulton had never been healthy for an entire year, missing an average of 5.4 games per year.
Still, some fans were optimistic that if Fulton could stay healthy, he would be a big help to the Chiefs on the outside. The 27-year-old ended up missing all of training camp with an injury but managed to return for Week 1, which is when his injury occurred.
While being without him last week was unfortunate, Fulton's return couldn't come at a better time. The Ravens are averaging an NFL-leading 37 points per game. Even though they're only averaging 208.0 passing yards (14th), Baltimore's pass-catchers tallied 21 catches for 288 yards and three touchdowns against the Detroit Lions on Monday.
Fulton's potential return would help slow down receivers on the outside like DeAndre Hopkins and Zay Flowers. Despite Hopkins being a grizzled vet, he's not as athletic as he used to be, which, among other things, would give Fulton a bit of an advantage.
The running game, on the other hand, is a whole other issue. Throughout his career, Fulton has had issues with missing tackles. Going up against a powerful back like Derrick Henry doesn't bode well, but that doesn't change the fact that the Chiefs are better with a healthy Fulton, and will do whatever it takes to get him back on the field soon.