As Nick Bolton goes into his sixth year with the Kansas City Chiefs, he continues to prove to be a key in the Chiefs' long-time defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's scheme However, ESPN ranked Bolton No. 8 on the list of top 10 linebackers this season, dropping four spots from his ranking going into the 2025 season.
What does this ranking mean for Bolton?
The drop in ranking doesn't mean that Bolton is lacking in talent in his position, but is rather credited more to the disappointing season the Chiefs had last year, which overshadowed his performance. Athlon Sports said that Bolton is coming off one of his best seasons, and he remains at the heart of Spagnuolo's defense. He recorded 154 total tackles and more than 10 tackles-for-loss for the second year in a row.
An AFC executive quoted in the ESPN ranking said that Bolton has "instincts, toughness and production," but he is capped by his average performance in long speed coverage. Sports Illustrated said that Bolton's shortcomings are just as apparent as his strengths. Bolton can defend the run and close gaps like nobody's business, but he doesn't have amazing sideline-to-sideline speed or consistency in the middle of the field that is needed at his position, which likely reflects his drop in ranking.
No player or linebacker is perfect, and despite his flaws, Bolton is still one of the most reliable and key parts of the Kansas City Defense. He is still the defensive play caller, meaning that Spagnuolo trusts Bolton immensely. It should also be noted that Bolton's 4.6% career run stop average still leads all linebackers since his rookie season in 2021. Therefore, Bolton could easily find himself back higher in the ranking if he shows improvement and remains integral to the team.
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Why is the 2026 season so important?
Not only would a proficient performance this season help Bolton climb back up the linebacker rankings next season, but it is also important financially. Bolton has been with the Chiefs since his rookie year and is going into the second year of his three-year, $45 million deal with $30 million guaranteed, which he re-signed before last season.
His cap this year will be at $19.25 million, expanding after capping at just $6.5 million in the 2025 season. In the third year of his contract, which is next season, he will have another $19.25 million cap, but the base salary is not guaranteed. This means that Kansas City, financially, could easily let Bolton go and save a tremendous amount of money. Therefore, Bolton would have to prove his worth this season to renegotiate again and work out an extension so the Chiefs will have the important, skillful linebacker for years to come.
