Bolton or Bust: Chiefs face tough call on defensive heartbeat

It's possible that, six months from now, Chiefs Kingdom will be looking back at Kansas City's Week 12 game against the Carolina Panthers for any signs of interest. Specifically, we might be looking back at how linebacker Nick Bolton performed against the Panthers in a close 30-27 win, because Carolina has been projected as his next team.

Coming into a new season, it was clear that this was gong to be a defining season for Bolton with the Chiefs. As a contract year, Bolton is scheduled to hit free agency next spring, which should mean a significant pay raise from the slotted rookie deal he inherited coming into the league back in the 2021 NFL Draft. The only questions were how much he would command and which team would be footing the bill.

The Chiefs have maintained all along that they value Bolton and want to sign him to a long-term contract extension, but such desires have been stated before only to find that reality made it unable to work. From cornerback L'Jarius Sneed to wide receiver Tyreek Hill to tackle Orlando Brown Jr., the Chiefs' public statements mean little in the end when real dollars are at work.

That's not to say the Chiefs are cheapskates. In the last year alone, they locked up multiple players to long-term deals. Chris Jones is earning massive amounts of money with his new five-year extension. Harrison Butker was given a new four-year contract extension in August, and they followed that up with a long-term deal for center Creed Humphrey later that month. The Chiefs even inked Noah Gray to a long-term contract as TE2.

The moves of the last year left the Chiefs with two obvious players waiting for extensions: Bolton and starting right guard Trey Smith.

When it comes to Bolton, there are arguments to be made about his value to the team in a number of categories. While his role as a thumper should limit his monetary ceiling, the truth is that the Chiefs rely on him in a number of ways that are hard to quantify. His leadership role and communication demands make him vital to the unit overall. Add in his tackling, experience, instincts, and intelligence and you've got a case for a player to be paid handsomely—at least by someone.

Over at the Pro Football Network, they've got some projections for free agency next spring in the NFL with some interesting results. Most notably for our purposes, they've put Bolton squarely in the Panthers' sights as a way to help bring together a unit that has some impressive pieces yet could use some cohesion and leadership.

"The Panthers’ most pressing 2025 concern will be finding a long-term quarterback. But Carolina also has questions on defense, where longtime linebacker Shaq Thompson is heading for free agency (or could conceivably retire)," writes Dallas Robison.

For the Chiefs, losing Bolton would create a significant hole in Steve Spagnuolo's defense and the Chiefs would move forward with Drue Tranquill and Leo Chenal as their primary defenders in 2025. There's plenty of time to find new help but losing Bolton would still be a major blow. Then again, if the money creeps up too much the Chiefs might not have a choice.

For now, Bolton is an integral part of this Chiefs defense and fans can only hope the ride continues through a third consecutive Super Bowl win.