Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs had clear gaps to address in the secondary after moving on from Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams and then losing Jaylen Watson to the same team in free agency. This week, they’ve taken a step toward fixing that ahead of the 2026 season.

According to Jordan Schultz, the Chiefs are signing former first-round cornerback Kaiir Elam, the son of Abram Elam and nephew of Matt Elam.

Elam entered the offseason as a free agent after stops with the Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, and Tennessee Titans. Originally drafted 23rd overall by Buffalo in 2022, he spent his first three seasons there.

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In that stretch, he appeared in 29 games with 12 starts, recording two interceptions, six pass breakups, 81 tackles, and three tackles for loss.

Things shifted heading into 2025. The Bills dealt him to Dallas along with a sixth-round pick in exchange for a fifth and a future seventh. The Cowboys then declined his fifth-year option, setting up his path to free agency.

In Dallas, he played 10 games with seven starts, logging one pass defended and 29 tackles before being waived in November. The Titans picked him up, where he closed out the season with one pass breakup and four tackles.

Now, he lands in Kansas City with a clear opportunity. The Chiefs’ pass defense in 2025 held up in some areas. They allowed 3,487 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and a passer rating of 89.9. But when you dig deeper, the picture shifts.

Under Steve Spagnuolo’s blitz-heavy system, opposing receivers averaged 3.7 yards of separation per target, one of the higher marks in the league.

There were positives. The Chiefs missed just 75 tackles, the second-best mark in the NFL. But the lack of takeaways stood out, with only 14 on the season. So while the defense handled the basics, it didn’t consistently create game-changing plays.

That’s where this move fits in. With McDuffie and Watson gone, the secondary needed reinforcements. Elam doesn’t arrive as a finished product, but he brings pedigree and experience. And for a unit that needs more playmaking on the back end, Elam is now expected to bolster the Chiefs’ secondary, something he struggled with the Cowboys last season.

Why did the Cowboys waive Kaiir Elam?

Following a three-year stint with the Bills, Kaiir Elam landed with the Cowboys via trade. Once the move became official, the 24-year-old sounded genuinely excited about the opportunity. Speaking to Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com, he said:

“It’s a blessing, man. I was so excited to find out I was coming here. I’m just ready to get back down South and ready to prove myself right, help the team win and buy into the culture the new coaches have here.”

He further added, “I have a chip on my shoulder. I’m hungry. I’m ready to compete and win, no matter what aspect of the position it is. On the athletic side of the ball, I’ve always been a great athlete, but I feel like I’ve strengthened my mental and sharpened my game when it comes to the nuances of the things I didn’t know as a younger player. Yeah, I’m excited.”

At the time, the fit made sense. The Cowboys had brought in Matt Eberflus as defensive coordinator, and his preference for longer, physical cornerbacks aligned with Elam’s 6-foot-1 frame. There was also a clear opportunity, especially with Trevon Diggs dealing with a knee injury late in 2024, that cast doubt over his early availability in 2025.

But things didn’t play out that way. Elam struggled to carve out a consistent role in the secondary. Even though he appeared in 10 games, his involvement was limited, including not logging a single defensive snap in Week 11 against the Las Vegas Raiders.

As his role continued to shrink, the Cowboys moved on, waiving him and promoting Malik Davis from the practice squad. Now, Kaiir Elam gets another reset with the Chiefs, where the expectation is that he’ll have a chance to contribute and help stabilize the secondary.