Kristian Fulton’s on-field arrival in Chiefs training camp is most welcome news for the defense.

Kansas City Chiefs Mandatory Minicamp | Aaron M. Sprecher/GettyImages

For all of the minor injury concerns that have presented themselves in the first couple of weeks of Kansas City Chiefs training camp, especially on the offensive side, the defense got a major boost on Thursday with the return of linebacker Drue Tranquill and the arrival of cornerback Kristian Fulton.

Fulton’s return to the field for the Chiefs is the more heartening news, given the fact that he’d yet to practice with the team in St. Joseph. Missing so much time in training camp was becoming quite a concern, but with the entire preseason slate still to go, the Chiefs have a decent on-ramp to get him prepared for the regular season opener.

Kristian Fulton’s on-field arrival in Chiefs training camp is most welcome news for the defense.

The Chiefs signed Fulton to a two-year deal this offseason in the hopes of adding not only his considerable talent and athleticism as a boundary corner, but to also provide enough depth outside in order to slide Trent McDuffie into the slot. McDuffie is a tenacious defender inside, and his presence there elevates the Chiefs’ defense to new levels.

The only problem with that plan is that it was only viewed on paper—until now. Fulton began the preseason on the Chiefs’ Physically Unable to Play list along with tight end Tre Watson and offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor. Both Watson and Taylor were quick to come off, while Fulton has remained sidelined since the Chiefs first landed in St. Joe in late July.

The Tennessee Titans drafted Fulton in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, and he went on to play out his rookie deal in Music City before landing with the Los Angeles Chargers on a one-year deal in free agency last year. Fulton started 14 games with 51 tackles and 7 pass deflections for the Bolts.

The Chiefs must have liked what they saw when playing against Fulton in the AFC West, because they signed him to a two-year, $20 million contract in free agency to form a nucleus at the position with McDuffie and Jaylen Watson.

Now that Fulton is in place, it will take him some time to get up to speed with the rest of his teammates, but Chiefs coaches are well-equipped to handle that task. The biggest hurdle was getting him back on the field. Now the Chiefs can begin the task of building their defense the way they envisioned it in the first place.