In 2023, the Kansas City Chiefs boasted one of the NFL's best cornerback duos in L'Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie, which was a big reason why they won the Super Bowl.
That was certainly not the case this past season.
While McDuffie was still in tow, the Chiefs lost Sneed to free agency last March, shipping him to the Tennessee Titans in a sign-and-trade.
As a result, Kansas City entered 2024 with its second cornerback slot in flux. Jaylen Watson ultimately won the job out of camp, but after breaking his leg in Week 7, the Chiefs were forced to roll with Joshua Williams.
While Williams certainly wasn't terrible, he wasn't great, either, and with the 25-year-old carrying a $3.4 million cap hit for 2025, Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac is urging the cash-strapped Chiefs to part ways with the defensive back.
"A 4th-round pick back in 2022, Williams remains a depth CB for the Chiefs heading toward the final season of his rookie contract," Ginnitti wrote. "Despite the backup role, Williams garnered enough snaps to trigger a Proven Performance Bonus for 2025, escalating his salary to a non-guaranteed $3.2M for the upcoming season. KC can free up this amount by moving on."
Williams played in every game this past season, registering 33 tackles, a sack and six passes defended. He also posted a coverage grade of 68.3 at Pro Football Focus.
He isn't a bad depth piece by any means, but for a Kansas City squad that needs to free up as much cash as possible, the Chiefs may be left with no choice but to part ways with him if push comes to shove.
Williams is absolutely expendable and infinitely replaceable, so Kansas City could easily release him and then just find another cornerback somewhere in the NFL Draft.
Or, the Chiefs can find a way to sign a cornerback in free agency, but it doesn't seem very likely that Kansas City will use the little cap room it has at the position.
Regardless, Williams could definitely find himself on the chopping block in the coming weeks and months.
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