Nick Bolton is one of the handful of pending free agents for the Kansas City Chiefs who excelled in their system as a homegrown player. The first selection for Kansas City in the 2021 NFL Draft, the former second-round pick became a top leader for the Chiefs' defense. And he did so early on in his tenure.
Bolton started 12 games as a rookie, racking up plenty of tackles and stops in space. His profile as a downhill, thumping run defender is where he is most effective. But in more recent seasons, Bolton has begun to make more of an impact with occasional blitz opportunities. His three sacks in 2024 were a career high for a single season. Overall, the Missouri product has remained a productive piece of the K.C. defense. His only down year was 2023 in that area, but that was largely due to injuries.
Nick Bolton has been a dependable piece for the Chiefs' coaching staff. As a result, there is likely a strong desire from the Kansas City decision makers to want to retain him this offseason. Yet, there are quite a few teams with linebacker needs this offseason, including those with plenty of cap space to work with.
Kansas City Chiefs free agent profile: Nick Bolton, linebacker
Chiefs' 2024 expectations for Nick Bolton
First and foremost, the Chiefs were likely viewing Bolton as a defensive leader that his teammates could lean on, once again. In the middle of the defense, his job of calling out signals and keys was crucial as the MIKE linebacker. If things were not aligned properly, for instance, opponents could expose the Chiefs for being out of position. Elsewhere, Bolton was likely depended on to make run stops and plays in the open field.
How did 2024 season turn out for Nick Bolton?
Bolton played every game before the starters sat out the regular season finale. That was a major bonus for him, given the injuries he dealt with in 2023. He saw a bit of a dip in performance as a run defender. While not a drastic drop, the Chiefs' linebacker finished with a 65.8 run defense grade via Pro Football Focus. That was his lowest run defense grade of his career.
Meanwhile, Bolton saw a career-best in quarterback hits in 2024. Notably, the linebacker registered double-digit tackles for loss for the first time since his rookie year. Even in a season that may have graded slightly lower, Bolton still produced some huge game-sealing stops to get K.C. off the field. The fourth down play against the Atlanta Falcons stands out the most.
Will Nick Bolton re-sign with Chiefs in 2025?
Nick Bolton is one of the more difficult Kansas City's cases to figure out as NFL free agency gets officially closer. The Chiefs' coaches love him, as mentioned above. He is known for being a well-prepared player, and he's an overall efficient piece at middle linebacker. Finding homegrown pieces who fit as well as he does is truly a luxury in today's NFL.
Yet, several teams c ould use a young linebacker like him to help command their defense. There is likely to be a robust market for Bolton and his services in free agency. Can Kansas City beat out offers from outside teams? Will the Chiefs find a way to fit him into their salary cap puzzle? Simply put, the waters this team will be navigating with Bolton will likely not be calm.
Free agent prediction for Nick Bolton
Nick Bolton is someone who could get pushed down the priority list slightly among Kansas City's offseason plans. At the same time, the Chiefs still have a capable linebacker duo with Drue Tranquill and Leo Chenal. They may be willing to add additional linebacker depth for a much cheaper cost when it is all said and done.
A handful of teams with a healthy amount of cap space make sense for Bolton. One of those fits is a landing spot that Chiefs fans would rather not see: the Las Vegas Raiders. Las Vegas has their own MIKE linebacker, Robert Spillane, set for free agency. WILL linebacker Divine Deablo is also set to be available in free agency. If neither of those two return to the Raiders, they are left with young incumbent pieces like Luke Masterson, Amari Burney, and Tommy Eichenberg. It is safe to say this AFC West rival could be looking at adding more experience with a proven commodity.
Prediction: Bolton signs with the Las Vegas Raiders for four years, $56 million with a $14 million average salary per season