With several integral free agents set to hit free agency in 2025, Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach will likely weigh different cap-saving moves over the next month. And one said option involves soon-to-be fourth-year cornerback Joshua Williams.
In an offseason primer shared with Heavy on Chiefs, Pro Football Network identified Williams as a potential “cut candidate,” noting that the KC front office could save $3.325 million if they were to part ways with the former fourth-round draft pick prior to June 1.
Over the Cap confirms these financial figures, begging the question — is Williams worth over $3.3 million as cornerback depth?
Joshua Williams’ Warts Have Led to Lack of Trust From Chiefs Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo
When you look back at the “Fab Five” DBs from that 2022 draft class, the clear success stories are first rounder Trent McDuffie, second rounder Bryan Cook and seventh rounder Jaylen Watson. That’s not to say Williams and seventh rounder Nazeeh Johnson have been bad, but each of their results have been much less consistent for different reasons.
While Johnson has had to overcome injuries, Williams has remained relatively healthy contributing in 50 regular season games and another 10 playoff outings. Despite all those appearances, however, the up-and-down prospect has only officially been called upon to start 12 times.
That lack of trust from defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo stems from Williams’ very noticeable warts.
Williams has generally posted solid pass coverage numbers over the years, but he’s been a total liability as a tackler in two out of his first three seasons. According to Pro Football Focus, the 25-year-old CB was charged with 6 missed tackles both in 2022 and 2024. He was also flagged for 11 penalties in those two seasons combined.
The outlier was 2023, where Williams limited those mistakes with just 1 missed tackle and 2 penalty flags, but seeing the youngster regress this season was not ideal.
On the flip side, Williams’ coverage numbers hold up extremely well alongside McDuffie, Watson and the roster’s best defensive backs. In fact, he held opposing quarterbacks to a lower passer rating (87.4) than the rest of his fellow CBs in 2024 — although Cook and rookie safety Jaden Hicks had him beat at safety.
Williams is generally sticky on his man, with 13 pass breakups over his three campaigns, but he’s also lacked those impact plays and turnovers. Which is something Watson has thrived at.
For example, Williams hasn’t recorded an interception since his rookie year, when he registered two.
Chiefs Could Give Joshua Williams 1 Last Chance to Prove He Deserves a Second Contract in 2025
Williams may never earn a second contract with the Chiefs — especially with new deals looming for McDuffie, Cook and Watson — but if it ever were to happen, he’d need to put together a big season in 2025.
Either way, Williams’ potential might be worth Veach riding things out and sacrificing the $3.325 million in potential savings.
If it were more money coming off the books, it’d be easier to make the case for a Williams cut, but it’s still a rookie contract cap hit at the end of the day. Unless Veach replaces him in the draft, it may prove difficult to find better-quality depth at cornerback for anything less than $3 million.
For that reason, it might make more sense to keep Williams for one more year, providing him with one last opportunity to show the organization that he deserves to be here long-term.
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