One former Dallas Cowboys starter — and a former 1st-round pick — is looking for his 5th team in 5 seasons at just 25 years old.
“Sources: The Chiefs are releasing CB Kaiir Elam,” NFL insider Jordan Schultz wrote on his official X account on Sunday. “Former 1st-round pick was signed this offseason.”
The Bills selected Elam in the 1st round (No. 23 overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft and traded him to the Cowboys before the 2025 season.
Elam, who never developed into a full-time starter with the Bills, flamed out quickly with the Cowboys after 7 starts in 10 games and was released on November 22. He finished the season with the Tennessee Titans.
“The Kansas City Chiefs are releasing CB Kaiir Elam,” Chiefs reporter Charles Goldman wrote on X. “He played well in camp and the preseason, but the room is crowded. Should get a shot elsewhere.”
“Been a tough time for Kaiir Elam in the NFL,” NBC Sports Andrew Jerell Jones wrote on X on Sunday. “Now he will have to look for his next team.”
Kaiir Elam ‘2nd Draft’ Candidate With Cowboys
The Cowboys have been a longtime haven for draft busts from other teams — especially high draft picks — using their “2nd Draft” philosophy to pick them up at cut-rate deals.
Sometimes it works out, like when former Steelers wide receiver George Pickens became an NFL All-Pro for the Cowboys in his 1st season in 2025.
Sometimes it doesn’t work out — like with Elam.
Not that there wasn’t optimism headed into his brief stint with the Cowboys.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine predicted a vacuum at cornerback due to injuries could clear a path for Elam to become a “Breakout Candidate” for the Cowboys in 2025.
For Elam, it boiled down to essentially being on a 1-year, $2.5 million “prove it” contract in 2025 after the Cowboys declined his $12.6 million 5th-year option following the trade.
“Kaiir Elam’s time in Buffalo was disappointing,” Ballentine wrote on June 2. “The 2022 first-round pick had opportunities to emerge with the Bills and wasn’t able to take advantage of those opportunities. But sometimes a change of scenery can spark a career revival. Elam is going to have the opportunity to prove himself over the summer. Both Trevon Diggs and third-round pick Shavon Revel Jr. are working their way back from ACL injuries and Elam is already making plays in OTAs.”
Kaair Elam Elite in 1 Aspect — the Postseason
While Elam has struggled during the regular season, he’s seemed like an elite player in the postseason through his first 3 seasons.
Elam has 2 interceptions in 5 career playoff games, including the game-winning pick against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Wild Card Round following the 2023 season.
Elam was an All-SEC pick at Florida and ran a blazing, 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine before the Bill selected him No. 23 overall in 2022 and signed him to a 4-year, $13.69 million contract.
“(Elam) is patient and strong to mirror and impede releases but inconsistent staying connected to the early stages of the route,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in 2022. ” … He plays big at the catch point but smaller in run support. Elam has early CB3 and eventual CB2 value as a press and zone corner.”
Elam’s father, Abram, played 7 seasons as an NFL safety. Kaiir Elam’s uncle, Matt Elam, was an All-American safety at Florida and a first-round pick (No. 32 overall) by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2013 NFL draft.
Former Dallas Cowboys Starter & 1st-Round Pick Released by Chiefs