The Kansas City Chiefs‘ season may be over, but the start of transaction season is just beginning. And one of their former players, it would seem, has been an initial beneficiary of it.

Marlon Tuipulotu – who played for the Chiefs in 2024 and 2025 – has been signed to a reserve/futures contract by the New York Giants, who are currently in the process of finding their next head coach.

“Giants sign Marlon Tuipulotu to reserve-future deal”, Aaron Wilson posted on X on Tuesday.

Former Eagles Sixth Round Pick Finds New Home In New York

Marlon Tuipulotu was originally drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles out of USC in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Despite never establishing a starting role for himself – something that would have been a rare feat for a mid-to-late day three pick, Tuipulotu did manage to carve out a decently-sized role as a contributing rotational defensive lineman in his early years in the NFL.

In his sophomore season in 2022, Tuipulotu was given substantial responsibilities on defense and appeared in anywhere from a quarter to half the snaps on offense in any given game from weeks 1 to 10 before a torn meniscus prematurely ended his season.

After 2023 saw a reduced role for the Oregon native, partially due to the emergence of Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis as one of the dominant interior defensive line tandems in football, the team parted ways with Tuipulotu in August 2024.

Tuipulotu Given Limited Opportunities in Kansas City

Unfortunately for him, chances to get on the field and shine were not nearly as abundant in Kansas City, with the team prioritizing the likes of Tershawn Wharton, Derrick Nnadi and veteran, Mike Pennel to play the nose tackle role alongside All-Pro, Chris Jones.

Tuipulotu managed just two games and one start in 2024, recording 4 tackles and 1 tackle-for-loss on the year.

Although he was subsequently released in August 2025 during final cuts, Tuipulotu was still able to make a contribution to the team.

He was bought up from the practice squad three times, but was not signed to the active roster for any extended period of time – a curious decision given the lack of depth Chiefs sported at defensive tackle beyond Jones, especially after rookie second round pick DT, Omarr Norman-Lott, suffered a season-ending torn ACL in Week 7.

But in 2025 – despite playing one game extra – his stats declined, accruing just one total tackle on the season.

And in Tuipulotu, the Giants get another experienced face to challenge for a backup defensive tackle role on the roster.

What Will The Chiefs’ Defensive Tackle Room Look Like In 2026?

Both Jerry Tillery and Derrick Nnadi, who played the second and third most amount of snaps at the position, behind Chris Jones, are out of contract in March.

Neither gave the Chiefs an ultra-convincing reason as to why the organization should sign them to a long-term extension, but it is possible that one or both are bought back on a cheap, short-term deal in 2026.

However, the expected starters at the position, as of now, are Norman-Lott and Jones. Considering Jones’ age; he is heading into his age-32 season; the team may also look to add to the position group in April’s draft, especially in light of the fact that the team are – in rare fashion – picking inside the top 10 in 2026.