One of the few remaining Kansas City Chiefs concerns was the corner position and a lack of proven depth. It seems the secondary is one of the few areas the franchise has opted not to pay consistently, leaning on the draft and free agent additions to deal with the turnover. With this in mind, Kristian Fulton was an incredibly important piece for what the 2025 Chiefs were attempting to build.
Camp hadn't yet illustrated this with Fulton starting the season on the PUP list and forcing the Chiefs to pivot. There was reason to wonder what this meant for the start of the season and if the franchise needed to add to the position.
However, Fulton made his return this week to padded practice, able to come off the PUP list and begin full activity. The corner is far behind, and it will be interesting to watch how the Chiefs are going to handle the position after giving more consistent reps to the current starting trio. It seems fair to expect the veteran to need some strong camp moments to win back a starting role and prove he is ready for the regular season.
🚨 BREAKING 🚨#Chiefs CB Kristian Fulton, who began camp on PUP, is out here in pads and a helmet today.
— Chiefs Blitz (@ChiefsBlitz) August 7, 2025
Per, @KCChiefs_Matt. pic.twitter.com/Oc89Z2Iemg
Key Chiefs Defender Kristian Fulton Able to Make His Awaited Return
This should be an easy task for a player who was added due to the concerning lack of depth at the position. Missing the first two weeks of camp shouldn't be enough to alter the starting lineup. Still, it is something to keep a close eye on. Fulton has already been a source of frustration, even with the injury out of his control. There is a level of expected performance that must be reached in the next weeks to help erase this.
Due to the greatness of Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, a continued underrated story has been how incredible the defense has been when it matters most. What allowed an underwhelming offense to consistently pull games out of the fire last year was having the league's best defense. Now, Fulton is stepping into this with high expectations well-established.
The corner needs to show a consistent level of production throughout camp and the preseason to ease fan frustration and prove the Chiefs made the right decision. Regardless, it is nice to have the added depth back and one less question mark hanging over the team.