The Kansas City Chiefs dynasty hit a rough patch following their defeat to Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles. Now that the season has concluded, everyone will start from square one when looking to build their franchise bigger and stronger for 2025’s campaign.
For the Chiefs, multiple key players will become free agents. While the franchise would love to bring everyone back, it is important to role with the punches and build around the strongest pieces. For Kansas City, one of their more important pieces to keep is linebacker Nick Bolton.
Bolton has been with the Chiefs since getting drafted 58th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. Since breaking into the league, Bolton has played in 57 regular season games, collecting 458 total tackles, 289 solo tackles, and 42 stuffs.
With numbers like that over four seasons in Kansas City, the Chiefs would be foolish to not at least go into talks with Bolton and his representatives to keep him in Chiefs Kingdom. Lucky for the franchise, Bolton revealed he loves playing exactly where he is.
“I’m going to take this one, take 24 hours or 48 hours to reflect on how the year went (and) talk to my agent,” Bolton said. “I’ve been (with the Chiefs) for seven years. It feels like home. (Missouri) welcomed me with open arms as a little 18-year-old with short hair, no facial hair. Let me go through growing pains and find out my own identity, and it reflects home.”
Bolton has been apart of the last three playoff runs for Kansas City and he has brought his A-game when its under the brightest lights. In his playoff career, Bolton has dropped 102 total tackles, 55 solos, and 6.5 stuffs in 13 career playoff games.
Still only 24 years old, the Chiefs would be smart to retain a talent such as Bolton. Though he is young, he has more experience than other players his age given the opportunities that have been presented in Kansas City.
After seeing how the Chiefs defense performed against the Eagles, it would be best in keeping a young player who is already establish rather than letting him walk in free agency because of the lack of three-peat success.
