The Kansas City Chiefs are facing a serious financial crunch this offseason - the kind that forces tough decisions. With the team projected to be nearly $55 million over the salary cap, Kansas City is staring down a pivotal offseason filled with potential cuts and contract restructures. This isn't just cap gymnastics; it's a recalibration for a team that’s been a model of sustained success in the Patrick Mahomes era.
One name that’s starting to surface in these conversations: cornerback Kristian Fulton.
Fulton is entering the final year of a $20 million deal and carries a $13 million cap hit into 2026. That’s a hefty number for a player who suited up for just eight games last season, starting only two and playing 41% of defensive snaps.
When you compare that to someone like Trent McDuffie - a full-time starter with a similar cap figure - the value just doesn’t line up. Cutting Fulton would free up $5 million in cap space.
Not a massive number, but in a cap situation this tight, every dollar counts.
Now, to be fair, Fulton wasn’t a liability when he was on the field. He allowed a completion rate of just 55.6% and a passer rating of 81.7 in coverage last season - solid numbers by any standard.
The issue, as it has been throughout much of his career, is availability. Injuries once again limited his time on the field, and availability is everything when roster decisions are this financially driven.
So where does that leave the Chiefs? Likely weighing whether Fulton’s flashes of quality play are worth the cap hit - or if they’re better off reallocating those dollars elsewhere. With the team needing to trim nearly $55 million, the margin for sentiment is razor-thin.
Should Kansas City move on, there are a couple of teams that make sense as landing spots for Fulton.
Green Bay could be in the market for more depth and competition at cornerback, especially after Nate Hobbs underwhelmed in the first year of his $48 million deal. The Packers have talent in the secondary, but they’re still searching for the right mix - and Fulton, if healthy, could be a low-cost, high-upside addition.
Buffalo is another team to watch. With Tre'Davious White set to hit free agency and uncertainty surrounding Maxwell Hairston, the Bills have questions to answer in the secondary. Fulton’s injury history makes him a gamble, but for a team trying to stay competitive under cap constraints, that’s a risk they might be willing to take - especially if the price is right.
At the end of the day, this is what happens when a championship-caliber team reaches a financial crossroads. Kansas City has some hard choices ahead, and Fulton is just one piece of a much larger puzzle. The Chiefs have been masters of roster management in recent years, but this offseason will test just how far they can stretch that magic.