The Kansas City Chiefs made a predictable decision this past week, reuniting with L'Jarius Sneed after the defender's time with the Titans came to a frustrating end. Opting not to pay top dollar only to turn around and reunite when a formerly key player's stock hits a low is the type of move that keeps a dynasty alive. It's also going to introduce a new level of competition to the current KC depth chart and leave one veteran as the obvious odd man out after an underwhelming 2025 season.
Kristian Fulton appeared to be holding onto a roster spot, projecting as the fourth or fifth corner. Having Fulton rostered made sense when you consider that a potential injury to Mansoor Delane or Nohl Williams would present an obvious starting opportunity. However, this changed the moment that Sneed was brought back into the fold, with Fulton now having every reason to believe he will once again be fighting for a roster spot.
Looking back at the 2025 season, Fulton didn't offer a single interception and gave up 16.9 yards per reception allowed. It's a ridiculously large number that points to the fact that when the veteran was getting beaten, it was often quite soundly.
Chiefs' recent defensive addition opens the door for Kristian Fulton's KC exit
Kansas City has brought in a number of potential wildcard contenders at the position with Kader Kohou, Kaiir Elam, and Jadon Canady all fighting for meaningful roles and offering more potential upside than Fulton's. This makes it clear that the 27-year-old has gone from an important backup to a potential roster cut after the addition of Sneed.
Fulton's ability to stick on the roster is going to entirely depend upon his performance and injuries throughout the summer. A great training camp and preseason are needed with Kansas City's current roster offering higher upside options that would make more sense to build around than attempting to keep Fulton for another season.
Kansas City has done an incredible job retooling the secondary after losing a number of key starters over the past two offseasons. Youth has been a clear focus, along with undervalued veterans, giving Steve Spagnuolo the perfect combination to craft a viable group capable of living up to lofty past expectations.
This makes it all the more clear that Fulton is going to have a difficult time fitting into this picture with Sneed's return setting up what appears to be an increasingly probable exit. One that Kansas City fans won't mind, with Fulton simply not offering the consistency or upside fans have grown to expect from the position.
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