The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off a 2025 season that nobody in the building wants to relive. It wasn’t just a Super Bowl hangover. It was a mess. And while the front office believes they’ve patched enough holes to get back on track, the roster still has some weird edges that haven’t been smoothed out.
That’s where the trade market comes in. Not the blockbuster kind. The sneaky kind. The kind where you move a decent player who doesn’t quite fit and get back a pick or a depth piece that does. Here are three guys who could be on the move as the 2026 season gets closer.
Right Tackle Jaylon Moore
Moore signed a two-year, $30 million deal last offseason. That’s starter money. Problem is, he started only six games in 2025 and didn’t exactly wow anybody. The Chiefs brought him in from the 49ers expecting a steady presence on the right side. Instead, they got a guy who might lose his job to Esa Pole before the leaves change.
If Pole beats him out in camp, Moore becomes an expensive backup. And the Chiefs aren’t the type to pay $15 million a year for a reserve lineman. According to Sports Illustrated’s Joshua Brisco, Moore is a capable starter but hasn’t shown the kind of dominance that makes you feel good about that contract. He’s 28. He is what he is. The question is whether that’s enough for the Chiefs to keep him around or if they’d rather ship him to a team desperate for tackle help.
Cornerback Kristian Fulton
Fulton was a second-round pick back in 2020. He’s had moments. But he’s also had a lot of seasons where those moments were too few. With the Titans he started 35 games over three years. With the Chargers in 2024 he started a career-high 14. Then came last year in Kansas City: eight games, two starts.
The Chiefs cornerback room is crowded now. Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson are both with the Rams. But the team reloaded with L’Jarius Sneed, rookie Mansoor Delane, and undrafted find Nohl Williams. Delane in particular has been turning heads. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo called him the top corner in his draft class and pointed out that Delane transferred to LSU specifically to challenge himself. That kind of endorsement pushes Fulton down the depth chart.
Right now Fulton is sitting behind Delane in the backup spot. That’s not what you want from a veteran on a one-year deal. A team that loses a corner to injury in camp could easily call the Chiefs and ask about him.
Running Back Emari Demercado
This one is simple. The Chiefs have a numbers problem at running back. Demercado is listed third on the depth chart per ESPN. But he averaged 7.1 yards per carry last season. On 44 attempts. That’s not a fluke when you look at his career average of 6.5.
He’s a third-down back with explosion. The kind of guy who can turn a checkdown into a 30-yard gain. If the Chiefs decide to keep Brashard Smith as their change-of-pace option, Demercado becomes expendable. And some team that loses a running back to injury is going to call. The Chiefs aren’t getting a first-round pick for him. But a late-rounder or a player at a position of need? That’s realistic.
The Chiefs could also just keep him. He’s useful. But if the roster math doesn’t work out, he’s the kind of player who gets moved in late August when another team gets desperate.
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