The Kansas City Chiefs have one of the best cornerbacks in the game in Trent McDuffie, but he's just one person. With that in mind, they brought in Kristian Fulton, hoping he'd be the complement he's lacked since they traded L'Jarius Sneed.
So far, that hasn't been the case at all. The former Los Angeles Chargers defensive back missed most of training camp as he worked his way back from a knee injury, and he's now dealing with yet another ailment.
According to head coach Andy Reid, Fulton won't participate in Wednesday's practice after sustaining an ankle injury in the Week 2 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. This news puts his status for Week 3 in potential jeopardy while KC searches for its first victory of 2025.
Kristin Fulton's Injury Woes Hurt The Chiefs Early
Fulton only played 15 snaps (23 percent) in Week 1, which made sense, given that he had missed some time. Even so, he was torched over and over, logging a pedestrian 52.8 PFF grade.
Then, he couldn't even get back on his feet in Week 2, as he left the game after playing just two snaps before hurting his ankle.
Fulton has never played a full season in his six years in the league, and while his reputation as a disruptive back precedes him, availability is the best of abilities. The Chiefs signed him to a two-year, $20 milion contract, and it's not looking good so far.
At least, the newcomer can count on Trent McDuffie to have his back, both on and off the field. Following Week 1, the All-Pro cornerback gushed about Fulton and the job he's done of getting up to speed:
"He's doing good. You look at him (and) he missed all training camp. He got his mental reps, but actually getting in the game, playing with a new defense for him (and) playing with new guys who do different things, that kind of takes a little time (for) that feel," McDuffie told the media.
He also praised him for trying to pick everybody's brains and getting the job done, even knowing that he wouldn't play much early on in the season.
That's nice, but the Chiefs aren't for morale victories or pats in the back right now. They need Fulton to take the field so McDuffie can play more in the slot, where he's usually at his best.
Though the New York Giants aren't the toughest test in Week 3, they did just hang 37 points on a similarly vulnerable Dallas Cowboys secondary, so any potential absence from Fulton would certainly be felt. If he continues to miss chunks of time because he can't shake his injury history, his days with the Chiefs might be short-lived.