The Kansas City Chiefs kicked off day one of training camp practices on July 22, and 2023 draft pick Chamarri Conner notably retained his starting role as the nickel CB with newcomer Kristian Fulton sidelined with injury to start the summer.
A-to-Z Sports Kansas City reporter Charles Goldman highlighted this development shortly after Tuesday’s practice, noting that “Chamarri Conner gets the first nod at [the] Chiefs’ nickel corner job.”
“While all eyes are on the left tackle and left guard positions on offense, the defense also has a notable training camp battle at the cornerback position,” Goldman explained. “Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson are a given when it comes to base personnel, but when the Chiefs go to their sub-package defense with a slot cornerback on the field, who will be the third player on the field?”
There are several candidates for this third CB role, especially if McDuffie were to shift inside to nickelback once three cornerbacks take the field. Conner and Fulton are probably the two most likely candidates, although Joshua Williams, Nohl Williams, Nazeeh Johnson and Christian Roland-Wallace stand out as potential CB3 options, too.
With all that in mind, Goldman reiterated that “Conner was the first player to get repetitions alongside Watson and McDuffie,” and he capitalized on those opportunities on day one of Chiefs camp.
https://x.com/HaroldRKuntz3/status/1947674345935118665
“Conner was in the right place at the right time during 7-on-7 team drills at practice, as captured by FOX 4 Kansas City anchor Harold R. Kuntz,” Goldman relayed, sharing a video of Conner intercepting a deflected pass that was targeting superstar tight end Travis Kelce in the red zone. Linebacker Drue Tranquill was the player who broke up Patrick Mahomes’ attempt, and Conner hauled it in for the defense from there.
Will Kristian Fulton’s Return Shift Chamarri Conner Back Out of the Chiefs’ Starting Nickel Job?
Conner certainly appears to be getting the first crack at the nickel role again in 2025, but will that trend continue once Fulton returns from injury? It’s an interesting discussion.
Fulton was paid like a starter in free agency, but the Chiefs have yet to truly see what the veteran signing can do in Steve Spagnuolo’s defense.
On the plus side, his presence on the outside would allow McDuffie to shift back inside to his more natural position. Conversely, Conner has more experience in this defensive system than Fulton, and McDuffie is still a second-team All-Pro on the perimeter.
Either way, the Chiefs have a wide range of options in the secondary should anything go wrong.
Chiefs Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo Praised Chamarri Conner Ahead of Training Camp
Earlier this summer, before Chiefs training camp, Spagnuolo provided reporters with a telling quote about his unwavering belief in Conner.
“I think Chamarri [Conner] is having a really good offseason,” the Chiefs DC said (via A-to-Z Sports KC). “This is his [third] year in the system, and he’s doing really good in it.”
“I think he’s valuable,” Spagnuolo continued. “I mean, he’s been playing nickel, he’s been playing both safety spots. You saw [at OTAs], every once in a while, Trent [McDuffie] slips inside [the slot] there, and Chamarri will go in there too.”
At the time, the veteran coordinator concluded that Conner is “one of those guys I think that needs to be on the field for us.” Adding: “We’ll just have to find out, based on the other pieces, where most of his snaps will be.”
