Kristian Fulton Bio
Kristian Michael Shaw Fulton, born on September 3, 1998, is an American professional football cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Standing 6 feet 0 inches tall and weighing 197 pounds, he wears jersey number 8 and plays on the defensive side of the ball. Fulton played college football for the LSU Tigers and entered the NFL after being selected by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft. Across his professional career, he has also spent time with the Los Angeles Chargers before joining the Chiefs in 2025.
Early Life and Background
Kristian Michael Shaw Fulton was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he grew up immersed in the local football culture. He attended Archbishop Rummel High School in Metairie, Louisiana, where he played football and ran track. As a junior, Fulton was named the New Orleans area Defensive Player of the Year by The New Orleans Advocate after recording 11 interceptions, 27 tackles, and eight passes defended despite missing three games due to injury. He was also named first-team Class 5A All-State as a senior and was invited to the 2016 Under Armour All-America Game.
Fulton was rated a five-star recruit by 247Sports and a four-star recruit by Rivals, Scout, and ESPN, and was considered a consensus top-five prospect at the cornerback position. He also excelled in track and field, earning first-team All-State honors in the 300-meter hurdles as a senior. After receiving multiple scholarship offers, Fulton committed to play college football at Louisiana State University over programs such as Florida and Arkansas.
Path to Professional Football
Fulton began his college career at LSU in 2016, appearing in three games as a freshman and recording two tackles. His path was interrupted in February 2017 when the NCAA suspended him for two seasons for tampering with a performance-enhancing drug test, though he argued he believed the test was for recreational substances. After hiring an attorney and filing a second appeal, the suspension was ultimately overturned on August 23, 2018, allowing him to return to the field.
In his junior season, Fulton entered 2018 as a starter despite not having played in a game in 18 months. He started ten games before a season-ending ankle injury against Arkansas and finished with 25 tackles, one interception, and nine passes defended. As a senior in 2019, Fulton was named a preseason All-American by the Associated Press and the third-best defensive back in the nation by USA Today, finishing with 38 tackles, one interception, and 14 passes defended as LSU won the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Kristian Fulton Career
Early Career (2020–2021)
The Tennessee Titans selected Fulton in the second round, 61st overall, of the 2020 NFL draft, making him the ninth cornerback taken. On July 27, 2020, he signed a four-year, $5.33 million rookie contract that included $2.28 million in guaranteed money. He missed much of training camp with a knee injury and entered his rookie season as a backup cornerback on the depth chart.
Fulton made his professional regular-season debut on September 14, 2020, against the Denver Broncos and recorded his first career interception in Week 2 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, returning it 44 yards. He earned his first career sack in Week 3 against Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings before being placed on injured reserve in late October due to a knee injury. After finishing his rookie year with 16 combined tackles, one interception, and one sack in six games, Fulton returned healthy in 2021 and started 13 games, recording 40 combined tackles, 14 pass deflections, and two interceptions.
Tennessee Titans Tenure (2022–2023)
Entering the 2022 season, Fulton was named the de facto No. 1 starting cornerback following the departure of Janoris Jenkins, and he started 11 games while finishing with 48 combined tackles, five pass deflections, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one interception. He also earned his first career playoff start on January 22, 2022, recording six tackles in an AFC Divisional Round loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
In 2023, Fulton was paired with Sean Murphy-Bunting as the Titans’ top cornerback and recorded 47 combined tackles and five pass deflections in 12 games. A recurring hamstring injury landed him on injured reserve in December, limiting his availability over the final five weeks of the season. After the 2023 campaign, he received a 46.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, ranking 118th among qualifying cornerbacks.
Los Angeles Chargers Season (2024)
On March 22, 2024, the Los Angeles Chargers signed Fulton to a one-year, $3.12 million contract that included $2.44 million in guarantees and a $1.12 million signing bonus. Under head coach Jim Harbaugh, he was paired with Asante Samuel Jr. as a starting cornerback and started all 15 games in which he appeared. He recorded 51 combined tackles, seven passes defended, and one interception that season, earning a 71.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, which ranked him 40th among 222 qualifying cornerbacks.
Kansas City Chiefs Era (2025–Present)
On March 13, 2025, the Kansas City Chiefs signed Fulton to a two-year, $20 million contract that includes $15 million guaranteed and a $6 million signing bonus. The move gave Kansas City another experienced cornerback as the team continued its pursuit of additional Super Bowl contention. Fulton joined a defensive secondary that has remained among the league’s most competitive units in recent seasons.
As of Week 15 of the 2025 NFL season, Fulton has compiled 204 total tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, 32 pass deflections, and five interceptions across his NFL career. His arrival in Kansas City was viewed as a low-risk, high-upside addition aimed at strengthening depth and providing veteran leadership in the secondary.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the signature moments of Fulton’s career came in his first season, when he recorded his first career interception against Gardner Minshew and the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2 of 2020 and returned it 44 yards. In college, he helped LSU win the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship, the program’s most recent title at the time. His bounce-back 2024 season with the Chargers, in which he earned a top-40 cornerback grade from Pro Football Focus, marked a major career milestone and helped set up his lucrative move to Kansas City.
Kristian Fulton Career Wins
Across his professional career, Kristian Michael Shaw Fulton has built a steady resume as a starting-caliber cornerback rather than a high-volume playmaker, leaning on coverage reliability and tackling. His five career interceptions and 32 career pass deflections reflect a player trusted by defensive coordinators in multiple schemes. The following sections summarize his most verified achievements across the NFL.
NFL Highlights
Fulton’s first NFL interception came on September 20, 2020, against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and he has since added four more regular-season picks. His most productive season statistically came in 2021, when he set a career high with 14 pass deflections and started 13 games for the Tennessee Titans. He added a sixth interception against the Kansas City Chiefs during the 2024 season while with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Kristian Fulton Family
Personal Life
Public information about Kristian Michael Shaw Fulton’s personal and family life is limited. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and his commitment to LSU reflected his ties to the state. Beyond his career as an NFL cornerback, few additional verified personal details are widely available.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marks Kristian Michael Shaw Fulton’s first year with the Kansas City Chiefs after signing a two-year, $20 million contract in March 2025. He joined a defense that had remained among the NFL’s most consistent units in recent seasons and was expected to compete for a starting role in the secondary. Through Week 15, he has continued to contribute as a versatile cornerback capable of playing both outside and in the slot.
Fulton’s performance in 2025 adds to his career totals of 204 tackles, 32 pass deflections, and five interceptions, numbers that underscore his value as a dependable coverage defender. His pairing with Kansas City’s established defensive backs has provided the Chiefs with experienced depth as they navigate a competitive AFC playoff race. With two full seasons remaining on his contract through 2026, Fulton has positioned himself as a long-term piece of Kansas City’s defensive plans.
