The Seattle Seahawks need some cornerback help without all the baggage that comes with Terrion Arnold, who tried out for the Super Bowl champions this week. Arnold was accused of orchestrating the kidnapping and beating of three men he wrongfully believed stole $100,000 from him, allegedly. Rather than take a chance on Arnold, the Seahawks could instead call the Kansas City Chiefs about cornerback Kristian Fulton.
Fulton was signed to a two-year, $20 million deal last offseason, and more than half of that contract was guaranteed. Unfortunately for the 27-year-old, his Chiefs career got off to a rough start, as he struggled with injuries in training camp. Even when he was healthy, Fulton couldn't break through in Steve Spagnuolo's secondary, and was a healthy scratch until late in the season, when he finally did show some flashes. That's the player the Seahawks would be betting on.
What a Seahawks trade for Kristian Fulton would look like
The Seahawks let Riq Woolen leave in free agency, and thus have a void to fill in the nickel and behind Devon Witherspoon and Josh Jobe. Whether Fulton could provide some competition for Noah Igbinoghene and Nehemiah Pritchett remains to be seen. Seattle also selected Justin Neal in the third round of the NFL Draft last April.
"I have a ton of confidence in our defensive backfield room," Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said. "This is a situation of, we're kind of in everything all the time. So we're always trying to make our team the best we can possibly make it."
Would the Chiefs make this trade?
On paper, this trade is quite simple. Fulton is entering the last year of his deal and the Chiefs don't have much use for him. Per the team's first official depth chart, L'Jarius Sneed and rookie Mansoor Delane will start on the outside, while Kader Kohou takes snaps in the nickel. Where that leaves Fulton remains to be seen, and it would seem Spagnuolo hasn't been all that impressed with his tenure so far. As Matt Conner of Arrowhead Addict pointed out, the Chiefs are running out of room for Fulton:
"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 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," Conner wrote.
Adding a fifth-round pick in 2027 would be attractive for Brett Veach, who would otherwise likely not re-sign Fulton after next season. If the Chiefs were to cut Fulton now, they could also save $4 million against the salary cap, so they have some options.
Verdict: Yes
Would the Seahawks make this trade?
If the Seahawks are this serious about Terrion Arnold, a player with a checkered past, then they should also call the Chiefs to gauge their interest in trading Fulton. Despite a down year by his standards, Fulton gave up just a 81.7 passer rating against him (the best of his career) and owned a 12.3-yard average depth of target. Fulton was targeted 18 times in coverage, he surrendered 10 completions and 8.0 yards per attempt.
The biggest knock against Fulton was his inability to stay on the field in 2025-26. He didn't make much of an impact until late in the season, and by then the Chiefs playoff hopes were fading fast. Fulton also struggled to make tackles in the open field (26.3% missed tackle rate) and had a career-worst 34.8 grade against the run. He'd have to be better in Seattle, as the Seahawks put a lot of pressure on their cornerbacks to make those types of plays on an island.
Still, Fulton was expected to be the Chiefs starting outside corner before they re-signed Sneed. He can play that role in Seattle, or even showcase his flexibility as a nickel corner. If the Seahawks are worried about their secondary, they'd be best-suited chasing after Fulton rather than signing Arnold, and the baggage he comes with.
Verdict: Yes
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