Kristian Fulton enters mandatory minicamp next week surrounded by questions about pretty much everything related to the veteran corner.

Kristian Fulton might be the single most mysterious player on the Kansas City Chiefs roster going into mandatory minicamp. From the finances and the talent to the position and the availability, it’s all confusing when it comes to Fulton and his place in a completely remade secondary.

When Fulton signed a two-year, $20 million deal last offseason, it was praised as a savvy move for Chiefs general manager Brett Veach. Not only was Fulton a strong veteran signing in a younger cornerback room, but he was also a bridge into 2026 for a depth chart facing significant losses with free agency looming for the class of 2022—a crop that included Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Joshua Williams, and more.

But instead of providing a dependable pillar in the midst of change, everything about Fulton has been perplexing from his first preseason. Not only did he miss the bulk of training camp due to injury, but he also hurt his ankle early in Week 2. By the time he was healthy, he still wasn’t playing as a healthy scratch week after week for Steve Spagnuolo’s defense.

Fulton had a chance to show off his skills in the Chiefs’ defense late in the year due to injuries, and he responded well in the moment. Fulton looked good in those late-season snaps, which bolstered some hope that he might be useful to a team with alarming needs at cornerback in 2026. But instead of looking at Fulton as a starter in 2026, it feels as if he might be glossed over once again.

The Chiefs invested a first-round choice in Mansoor Delane at No. 6 overall. They added Jadon Canady in the fourth round to compete for slot reps with new free-agent signing Kader Kohou. Nohl Williams is in place on the boundary. Kaiir Elam is the annual offseason rebound candidate. Kevin Knowles, Melvin Smith Jr., and Christian Roland-Wallace are around to fill out the roster.

Fulton should still be viewed as a potential starter outside in that group, but he was already absent for part of OTAs in recent weeks. Then the Chiefs started flirting with the idea of a L’Jarius Sneed reunion (with a recent visit), which only further makes fans wonder just how much the Chiefs are banking on Fulton in 2026.

The Chiefs could save $5 million in cap space on paper if they cut him, but the real savings is only $4M since another player will take his place within the top 51 salaries to count against the cap (an important note pointed out by our friend Jared Sapp from Arrowhead Pride). But signing a player to a $20M deal with $15M in guaranteed money only to release him or even trade him one year later would be a major admission of a miss.

Fulton remains a talented player at a position of need who would bring experience to a very green unit. And this is only the latest confusing chapter in what is a short stint to begin with in K.C. Maybe the Sneed visit was about kicking the tires and nothing more, but the lack of clarity on Fulton has been a thing from the beginning.