The Kansas City Chiefs went down swinging on Christmas Day, falling 20-13 to the Denver Broncos. In a game where they weren't expected to be that competitive, the Chiefs made things tough on their division rival.
That's due to the defense playing a stout game, led by guys like Nohl Williams and Kristian Fulton in the secondary. Fulton had his best game of the season on Christmas night, where he had three tackles, three pass deflections, and was sticky in coverage.
What he did on the gridiron in Week 17 just changed the Chiefs' decision around him for the 2026 season.
Kristian Fulton Made Chiefs Decision on Him in 2025 That Much Harder
It's been an up-and-down year for Fulton after inking a two-year, $20 million deal in free agency. He started training camp on the PUP list after undergoing offseason knee surgery. Fulton made it back on the field but quickly suffered an ankle injury in Week 2 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
It has led to him only being active for seven games in 2025, but his outing against the Broncos was his best game of the season. He played in a season-best 70 defensive snaps.
"It felt like this was the first game I played this season," Fulton said per Harold R. Kuntz of Fox4KC. And in terms of his production and ability to stay on the field, it was. Fulton made plays all night long, which included a diving deflection that led to an interception by linebacker Nick Bolton in the first quarter.
He also broke up a red-zone pass to Courtland Sutton. For a player who has struggled to stay on the field this year, this was a great showcase. Considering the Chiefs won't make the playoffs for the first time since 2014, there will be a ton of changes. There was some speculation that Fulton would easily be cut after the season, but what he did in Week 17 could be the jumping-off point to changing that narrative.
He's on the books for $13 million next season, but if Kansas City released him, they would get hit with a $8 million dead cap hit, clearing $5 million in cap space. But if he can perform at this level, why would the Chiefs move on?
Especially since Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson are slated to hit free agency. Creating an extra hole at CB wouldn't be ideal. Although the Chiefs paid Fulton to be a factor in their secondary, it didn't happen in 2025, but it doesn't mean it won't in 2026.
On Christmas night, he showed that when healthy, he can be a serviceable corner for them. On six targets, he allowed just 27 receiving yards. In addition, he had a 48.6 passer rating allowed. His performance caught the attention of head coach Andy Reid, who said general manager Brett Veach brought him here because he's a good football player.
He wasn't able to stay healthy in 2025, but with this tape out, the odds of him being back for 2026 took a serious jump.