Kristian Fulton had a strong season in 2024, and he is set to remain in the AFC West next year. The veteran corner will not remain with the Chargers, however.
Fulton is instead on track to sign with the Chiefs, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. He will provide Kansas City with a starting-caliber option at the cornerback spot after handling first-team duties in Tennessee and Los Angeles. This will be a two-year deal worth $20MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds. Fulton will collect $15MM fully guaranteed, and he can earn up to $20.5MM.
This represents a bit of a deviation for Kansas City, which has relied on Steve Spagnuolo to get by with low-cost cornerbacks. The assembly line has rolled along, with the team letting Marcus Peters, Steven Nelson, Kendall Fuller, Charvarius Ward and L’Jarius Sneed find their second contracts elsewhere. The blueprint, however, hit a snag post-Sneed. No. 2 boundary corner Jaylen Watson missed most of the season and did not play well in Super Bowl LIX; he will now face competition opposite Trent McDuffie.
Lauded as a player who can thrive outside and in the slot, McDuffie spent far more time on the boundary (765 snaps) than inside (149) last season. Fulton would stand to complement the All-Pro. The Chiefs still have Watson and fellow 2022 pickup Joshua Williams contracted for one more season. If nothing else, Fulton will provide high-end insurance against the rookie-deal McDuffie sidekicks not progressing like past Kansas City corners have. Though, this contract points to a starting role in 2025.
Going into his age-27 season, Fulton joins the Chiefs after playing a key part in their 2024 season. A Fulton interception in Week 4 led to Rashee Rice suffering a season-ending knee injury on a tackle attempt, changing Kansas City’s wide receiver plan. Fulton, after struggling in his Titans contract year, was one of the new pieces that helped the Chargers lead the NFL in scoring defense last year. He started 14 games and dropped his completion percentage, yards per target, and passer rating (as the closest defender) considerably from 2023. Pro Football Focus graded him 40th among CB regulars last season.
A 37-game starter for the Titans, Fulton helped Tennessee after the team opted not to pay Adoree’ Jackson and saw Caleb Farley fail to justify a first-round pick. He will join the Chiefs as McDuffie becomes extension-eligible. The Chiefs will pick up McDuffie’s fifth-year option, however, giving them two more years of rookie-contract control. But Fulton is suddenly the Chiefs’ highest-paid CB.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.