Kaiir Elam's latest fresh start didn't last long.
The Kansas City Chiefs are releasing the former Buffalo Bills first-round pick after signing him to a one-year contract in April, according to multiple reports.
Elam, 25, appeared in two preseason games for Kansas City and recorded one tackle before failing to make the Chiefs' initial 53-man roster.
Kansas City signed Elam to a one-year, $1.81 million contract that included $500,000 guaranteed.
It's the latest turn in a career that has gone sideways since Buffalo selected Elam No. 23 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Bills traded Elam and a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys in March 2025 for a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 seventh-round pick.
For a brief stretch last summer, the move
looked like it might revive Elam's career.
Elam drew rave reviews during Cowboys training camp, intercepted three passes in team drills and appeared positioned to start entering the 2025 season.
Instead, he started seven games for a Dallas defense that finished with the NFL's worst pass defense, then was waived by the Cowboys in November.
The Tennessee Titans signed Elam four days later. He appeared in four games for Tennessee without making a start before becoming a free agent after the season. Kansas City signed him April 2.
Elam played 14 games with seven starts between Dallas and Tennessee last season, finishing with 33 tackles, two fumble recoveries and two passes defended. Opposing quarterbacks completed 27 of 52 passes thrown in his direction, 51.9%, for 402 yards and three touchdowns, according to Pro Football Reference.
Kaiir Elam struggled to find role with Bills
Buffalo drafted Elam out of Florida with the No. 23 overall pick in 2022, but he never established himself as a full-time starter.
Sixth-round pick Christian Benford beat him out for a starting job, and Elam eventually fell behind other cornerbacks on the Bills depth chart.
Elam appeared in 29 regular-season games with 12 starts over three seasons with Buffalo, recording 81 tackles, two interceptions, one fumble recovery and six passes defended.
He had memorable postseason moments, including interceptions against Miami following the 2022 season and Pittsburgh following the 2023 season.
Elam was a healthy scratch four times in 2024 and played his final game for Buffalo in the AFC Championship Game against Kansas City.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane accepted responsibility after trading Elam to Dallas.
“Ultimately, it’s on me,” Beane said at the time. “I made the selection that didn’t work out and I own that.”
Buffalo used the fifth-round pick acquired in the trade to select Ohio State cornerback Jordan Hancock.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Former Buffalo Bills first-round pick cut by AFC rival
