Kansas City Chiefs fans knew that when the team announced Kristian Fulton’s signing that injuries were going to be a factor. After all, Fulton has landed on injured reserve in three of his five NFL seasons.

Unfortunately, Fulton is already dealing with a knee injury and is on the PUP list entering training camp. While this is unfortunate for Fulton, it’s a golden opportunity for rookie defensive back Nohl Williams, who will be itching to show Chiefs Kingdom what he can do at the pro level.

Chiefs fans were ecstatic when the team managed to land Williams in the third round of this year’s draft because the Cal product is an absolute ballhawk. Williams tallied seven interceptions in 2024, which was an FBS-leading total. To say the Chiefs could use that kind of production is an understatement, considering they had 13 picks during the entire 2024 season.

Nohl Williams can benefit from Kristian Fulton’s injury

The Chiefs are hoping their young secondary can dazzle this season, and Williams should be a big part of that, whether he’s a starter or a depth piece. Fulton, Trent McDuffie, and Jaylen Watson are likely going to occupy the top of the depth chart with Jaden Hicks and Bryan Cook as the starting safeties. That’s a pretty solid group for the Chiefs, considering they have impressive depth as well.

Fulton has proven to be a solid player when he is healthy, but therein lies the concern. Williams stepping into the fold is a nice backup plan for the Chiefs to have, because if Fulton’s injury history continues to follow him, having a trustworthy replacement could be the difference between another Super Bowl appearance or watching another team represent the AFC in the big game.

Nohl Williams is also important in the bigger picture for the Chiefs due to how many pending free agents K.C. has in its secondary. Watson, Joshua Williams, and Nazeeh Johnson are all set to be free agents when the 2025 season comes to an end, so if Nohl Williams plays well, it’d alleviate some of the pressure of bringing all of those guys back.

Chiefs fans hope that Williams lives up to the hype he received from fans after the team selected him, and while we’re obviously hoping Fulton can stay healthy and perform well, this is an early chance for the former Golden Bear to show what he’s capable of.