HEADLINES

Nick Bolton

Chiefs LB Nick Bolton Returns To Practice

November 29th, 2023 at 3:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chiefs remain in the top five in total defense and points allowed, and they check in eighth in defensive DVOA. But the 8-3 team has lost two games without its top linebacker.

Nick Bolton is rehabbing a dislocated wrist that required surgery. Despite the third-year defender’s initial timetable being approximately two months, he returned to Chiefs practice Wednesday. The AFC West leaders officially designated Bolton for return from IR, starting his 21-day activation clock.

Kansas City looks to be proceeding in accordance with Bolton’s previously reported timetable. Andy Reid said (via ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher) the standout tackler will be brought along slowly. The Chiefs placed Bolton on IR five weeks ago, with their bye coming during this stretch. That stands to help the defending champs, who lost to the Broncos and Eagles during Bolton’s second absence this season. The team’s oft-discussed pass-game inconsistency obviously contributed to those defeats, but Kansas City having Bolton back will be critical to tightening a sturdy defensive safety net.

While overshadowed by the two future Hall of Famers on offense and Chris Jones on defense, Bolton has become one of the league’s top young linebackers. The former second-round pick ripped off a 180-tackle season in 2022 and scored a touchdown in Super Bowl LVII, coming a split-second away from a second TD in that game. This season, however, Bolton has only suited up for four games. An ankle injury sidelined the 23-year-old ‘backer for a three-game stretch earlier this year.

Willie Gay is in a contract year, and the Chiefs fortified their linebacking corps by signing former Charger Drue Tranquill to a low-cost deal (one year, $3MM) this offseason. Those two have played the most snaps among Chiefs linebackers this season, while second-year performer Leo Chenal has seen more time compared to his rookie year.

Bolton will profile as an extension candidate next year, joining fellow 2021 second-round pick Creed Humphrey in that regard. The Mizzou product will attempt to solidify his value with a strong stretch run this season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/28/23

October 28th, 2023 at 7:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

Here are the gameday elevations and other minor moves made around the league in advance of Week 8:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Wilkinson’s loss will be notable for the Cardinals, given his status as an entrenched starter at the left guard spot. The 28-year-old joined Arizona on a one-year deal worth the veteran’s minimum in free agency after stints in Denver, Chicago and Atlanta. Trystan Colon replaced him in the starting lineup in Week 7, and that will likely continue for the time being. Wilkinson will be out for at least four weeks as a result of the IR move.

Ridgeway has been out since Week 1, his Texans debut. The former 49er joined the Texans in a move which allowed him to continue working under head coach DeMeco Ryans. Ridgeway ended last season on IR, so he will be looking for an extended run of availability in his new home. A veteran of 78 games (and 19 starts), he will aim to carve out a rotational role up front.

Peters was brought in by the Seahawks while they were dealing with injury problems at both tackle spots. Blindside blocker Charles Cross has since returned, so Peters’ most familiar spot will not be available if he is to make his Seattle debut on Sunday. The fact the latter is healthy and in game shape does mean, however, that he will be eligible to play in a 19th NFL season.

Chiefs LB Nick Bolton To Undergo Surgery

October 23rd, 2023 at 12:48pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Chiefs extended their winning streak to six games on Sunday, but they lost a key defender for a stretch in the process. Head coach Andy Reid confirmed after the contest that linebacker Nick Bolton suffered a dislocated wrist, and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports it will require surgery.

As a result of the procedure, which ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes will take place Tuesday, Bolton will miss roughly two months. The news marks a significant blow to the 23-year-old individually and the Chiefs generally, given his importance to their defense. Surgery was not immediately known to be required, but confirmation on that front will leave Kansas City without a significant member of their core through much of the remaining portion of their schedule.

The 2021 second-rounder made an immediate impact in his rookie season, logging a 69% snap share and racking up 112 tackles. He was a full-time starter last year, and found himself on the field for more than 1,100 snaps. That uptick in playing time produced 180 tackles, a pair of interceptions and two sacks. Bolton followed that up with 23 stops and a pair of fumble recoveries (one for a touchdown) during the Chiefs’ run to a Super Bowl title.

The Missouri product has never drawn rave reviews from PFF with respect to his pass rush or coverage skills, but his run defense has made him a staple of the defending champions’ strong start to the season. Kansas City has held its opponent to 21 or fewer points in each game this season, and the team ranks eighth in total defense. Bolton represents a large part of that success, so an extended absence for the first time in his career will deal a major blow to the unit.

Willie Gay will remain a starter at the LB spot while Bolton is away, but Drue Tranquill will be in line for an uptick in playing time. The latter stepped in for Bolton earlier this season, and his strong play in Kansas City has drawn compliments and the desire to get both he and Bolton on the field together more often. Tranquill signed a one-year deal this offseason after a four-year run with the Chargers. He has posted 36 tackles and 2.5 sacks so far, and those numbers will be in line for a boost since Bolton is now facing a lengthy recovery period. .

NFL COVID List Updates: 12/25-12/26/21

December 26th, 2021 at 11:05pm CST by Ely Allen

We’ve compiled a list of players who were placed on or activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Christmas and today. In some instances, players activated from the list remain on IR:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Steven Sims

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

NFL COVID List Updates: 12/21/21

December 21st, 2021 at 10:49pm CST by Ely Allen

Once again, we’ve had a busy day of moves on and off the reserve/COVID-19 list. Here are the players who were placed on the list or activated off of it today:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Dalton Keene (remains on IR)

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Washington Football Team

Chiefs Sign Second-Round LB Nick Bolton

May 13th, 2021 at 12:51pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Chiefs didn’t have a first-round pick in this past draft because of the Orlando Brown Jr. trade, so their first pick came at 58th overall. Kansas City used that pick on linebacker Nick Bolton, who is now officially a Chief.

Bolton has agreed to terms on his rookie contract, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The Missouri product only turned 21 in March, and has been a first-team All-SEC selection in each of the past two seasons. This past year he racked up 95 tackles, eight for a loss, two sacks, and five passes defended in only 10 games.

In addition to offensive line the Chiefs have made upgrading their linebacking unit a priority, as they also just signed Kamalei Correa. Bolton projects as a potential day one starter. Obviously, he won’t have to be moving very far to start his pro career and will be staying in-state.

Per the terms of his slot, it’s a four-year deal worth $5.834MM that comes with a $1.602MM signing bonus, as Aaron Wilson tweets.