The Kansas City Chiefs are trying to rebuild their defense this offseason without a lot of cap space to work with. So far, Brett Veach has done a nice job of finding underrated defensive free agents, but there is more work to do. Thankfully, the Chiefs are set up to be able to address some of their needs in the NFL Draft because they don't have much more free agent money to give out. Part of the reason for that is because they are already paying players like Nick Bolton top dollar.
With the departure of Trent McDuffie, the Chiefs now have three highly paid defensive players. Chris Jones is understandably at the top of that list. George Karlaftis has KC's third-highest cap hit for defensive players this season, but it's Nick Bolton who is the Chiefs' second-highest paid defender this season, with a massive $19.25 million cap hit. Bolton is a good linebacker, but he does have some limitations. Ultimately, the Chiefs felt that he was worth the payday because he is Steve Spagnuolo's "coach on the field," making sure everyone is where they are supposed to be and that the system runs smoothly.
With the Chiefs having to bring in a bunch of new faces (several of them likely rookies) and relying more on solid contributors than outright stars (Chris Jones excluded), the need for Bolton's leadership will be at an all-time high. If the unit comes together and excels despite all the new pieces, the Chiefs will be able to point to Bolton's leadership as well worth the cost. But if the new defense flounders, it will be more than fair to ask if KC's cap dollars would have been better spent on someone who makes more big plays on the field.
The Chiefs also had to let a more physically gifted linebacker walk in free agency this offseason. Leo Chenal signed a three-year, $24.66 million deal with the Washington Commanders. His cap hit in 2026 is only about $4.3 million. Should KC's defense struggle and Bolton and Chenal put up similar production (or worse, Chenal clearly outperforms Bolton), it will be a clear failure on KC's part to self-assess their own players.
That's not to say that the Chiefs haven't earned a little benefit of the doubt. Steve Spagnuolo's defense has been a vital part of multiple Super Bowl wins. If he feels that the defense is better when Nick Bolton is on the field running things for him, that should carry a lot of weight with KC fans. Also, Brett Veach has kept the roster competing for Super Bowls for seven straight seasons.
Veach showed good judgment when trading both Tyreek Hill and L'Jarius Sneed while paying other in-house free agents. While no GM bats 1.000, Veach has done a nice job of finding a way to keep the players that KC needs, while letting others go and finding more affordable replacements. Maybe signing Bolton was Spagnuolo's request, maybe it was Veach's call, or maybe it was a collaboration. Regardless of whose idea it was, the Chiefs opted to keep and pay Bolton, and that's all that matters.
That's not to say that Bolton hasn't played well. He's recorded over 100 combined tackles in each of the four seasons in which he played the majority of the games. The only season he didn't was 2023, when he played just eight games. He was Pro Football Focus' eighth-highest graded linebacker last season. That was in large part due to his impressive 85.2 run defense grade. PFF also credited him with 60 run stops last season, the fifth most by a linebacker.
So Bolton is a good run defender and a great leader on the field. His one shortcoming is that he isn't great in coverage in a pass-happy league. His smarts and recognition skills keep him from being a total liability in coverage, but his speed and change-of-direction abilities just aren't on par with many of the league's top linebackers who excel against both the pass and the run. That's why many Chiefs fans have questioned his high price tag in the past.
With the Chiefs trying to rebound from their first down season in a decade and having to rebuild the defense in the process, the pressure is on for Nick Bolton to earn his big paycheck. The Chiefs will need that leadership and stability if the defense is going to be reliable enough to get KC back to the playoffs. If that doesn't happen, the Chiefs can clear $15 million in cap space for the 2027 season by cutting Bolton. For both the Chiefs' and Bolton's sake, let's hope that isn't necessary.