The Kansas City Chiefs suffered another NFL free agency departure on the evening of March 9, after news that cornerback Joshua Williams agreed to terms with the Tennessee Titans.
“The Titans aren’t done: They’re signing former Chiefs CB Joshua Williams to a two-year deal, source said,” NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero reported on X, continuing a string of exits in the secondary.
Williams was a fourth-round selection in 2022. He’ll always be remembered as a somewhat disappointing draft pick, despite helping the Chiefs win two Super Bowls.
Over his four-year tenure with the team, Williams appeared in 75 total games, including the playoffs. However, he only started 12 of those games, despite being groomed as a first-team prospect.
In the end, Williams displayed some quality traits, but he lacked the ball skills and tackling necessary to cut it in defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s system.
The 26-year-old achieved 2 interceptions as a rookie, and nothing since. He has been credited with 19 total passes defended, 4 tackles for a loss, and 1.0 sack.
Chiefs Have Growing Secondary Need After Early NFL Free Agency News
GettyThe Kansas City Chiefs will trust in veteran defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to rebuild the secondary once again.
Williams completes a trio of Titans’ cornerback signings on day one of NFL free agency, with Alontae Taylor and Cor’Dale Flott set to join Tennessee as well, and he also continues the KC exodus in the secondary.
After trading star cornerback Trent McDuffie, the Chiefs promptly lost starting safety Bryan Cook and starting cornerback Jaylen Watson on the open market. Williams is the latest DB departure, and the concerning trend creates a clear need in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Chiefs are armed with a ton of draft capital after the McDuffie trade, and you can bet general manager Brett Veach will be using a few selections on defensive backs.
Ironically, most of these departures are from the 2022 draft class. And history could repeat itself in 2026.
With several members of 2022’s “fab five” leaving KC, Veach will once again utilize a blockbuster trade to restock the ranks. The only difference is that this time, the Chiefs got ahead of the game.
Veach signed Kristian Fulton and drafted Nohl Williams at cornerback last offseason. They have also added intriguing young talent at safety (Jaden Hicks) and nickel (Christian Roland-Wallace and Kevin Knowles).
Many believed these moves signaled Watson, Cook, and Joshua Williams departures, but McDuffie was the real curveball. The Chiefs have a lot of work to do in the secondary, but the situation isn’t as dire as it seems.
Replacing Joshua Williams Won’t Be as Difficult as McDuffie & Watson
The Chiefs made a move to replace Cook just after the Joshua Williams news, signing safety Alohi Gilman.
The free agent addition received starter money, and he will likely man the back-end alongside Chamarri Conner and Hicks. Gilman helps stabilize the safety position, but cornerback is still reeling after the past week.
With a lot of the top CBs off the board and cap space at a premium, it feels likely that Kansas City will target the position in the first round of the draft. The Chiefs have two picks in round one after the McDuffie trade, and it’d be a major shock if at least one of them isn’t spent on McDuffie’s replacement.
Finding that player will be no easy feat, but replacing Williams should be simpler. If Nohl Williams is the new Watson, potentially, mid-to-late-round selections can fill out the depth of the roster, like Joshua Williams once did.
Chiefs Lose 75-Game Draft Pick in Latest NFL Free Agency News