While the 2026 Kansas City Chiefs roster has been somewhat set with 90 players and will soon dwindle down to just 53 on the active roster, plans for the 2027 squad have already been in motion by Kansas City's front office for years. General manager Brett Veach, over his tenure, has done a fabulous job of trying to take advantage of every season before him, but also making sure that he has a forward-looking mindset as well.
For the most part, he's done a fine job of keeping players just up until the end of their prime and then getting off of them and bringing new talent into the building at One Arrowhead Drive. The case will be no different next offseason, and three current defensive players may already know their time on this team is limited.
Nothing is guaranteed in the NFL, but everything is there for the taking. The chances are high that these guys play their last snap in a Chiefs uniform, but a breakout season could very well shift Veach's focus into keeping them around for a little longer.
Who is on the chopping block after the 2026 season for the Chiefs on defense?
Drue Tranquill
The 2025 season very well could have been Tranquill's last year in Kansas City had he not taken a pay cut on a reworked one-year deal in mid-March to remain on the squad. Of course, you have to commend a guy like Tranquill for understanding the shady side of the business, but it's apparent that the open market didn't see much value in the soon-to-be 31-year-old linebacker.
He played roughly 80% of snaps last season, accumulated over 100 total tackles, and forced one fumble. While his days of making splashy, stat-stuffing plays may be gone, he is still a very reliable LB2 to Nick Bolton. But it's hard to see him getting extended when he'll be on the wrong side of 30.
Kristian Fulton
Kristian Fulton's time with Kansas City has been underwhelming to say the least. Like Tranquill, Fulton came over to the Chiefs from the LA Chargers and was meant to play a big part in KC's cornerback room last year after signing a sizable two-year, $20 million contract.
Nagging injuries and coaching decisions kept him off the field for the majority of 2025, playing only 208 snaps over eight games. Now almost 28 years old with a $13 million cap hit, there's still a possibility Fulton gets cut as soon as August if the Chiefs feel like they have enough bodies to man the position. Either way, I don't see Fulton sniffing another contract in Kansas City next year.
Felix Anudike-Uzomah
One of Brett Veach's biggest misses in any draft was selecting K-State's Felix Anudike-Uzomah in the first round of the 2023 draft. Before missing all of 2025 with a hamstring injury, Anudike-Uzomah totaled just four sacks and 24 solo tackles in two full seasons. Heck, he barely got on the field, despite the dire need KC was in for quality pass-rushers.
FAU has more opportunity coming his way this upcoming campaign as well, but it's hard to imagine he'll finally break out in his fourth season. And even if he somehow does put together a five-sack season on 30% of the snaps, It's probably best for both sides to part ways and look for a fresh start.
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