Chiefs Excited About Potential Return of Nick Bolton

The Kansas City Chiefs' linebacker room entered Week 13 with one key piece already out of the lineup with an injury. By the end of the night, that total doubled.

Drue Tranquill's concussion knocked him out of last Sunday's loss to the Green Bay Packers, forcing Jack Cochrane to log extended snaps in his absence. Meanwhile, the team's normal No. 1 MIKE linebacker, Nick Bolton, was on the injured reserve list due to his ongoing recovery from a dislocated wrist and subsequent surgery. Cochrane filled in admirably, but there was still a very evident drop-off in production and familiarity on defense.

The classic good news/bad news scenario is unfolding this week for Kansas City. Tranquill missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday while in the league's concussion protocol, putting a damper on his outlook for Week 14's game against the Buffalo Bills. Bolton, however, has been a full participant in practice all week. He appears primed for a return to the lineup, much to the joy of defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. 

“I’ll tell you what he provides – he boosts me," Spagnuolo said. "I mean that. He’s an energy giver. I know the guys feel that in the huddle. We’ve had Tuesday where we do a little walkthrough, yesterday – everybody knows what he’s all about, what he brings, and how he communicates. You’d have to ask him a little bit more exactly, he knows where he’s at with all that. We trust the trainers and Nick on that.”

Bolton, a second-round pick in 2021, emerged as a steady player on defense for Kansas City as a sophomore. The former Missouri Tigers standout amassed a whopping 180 tackles last season, playing in every game and wearing the green dot as the team's play-setter, communicator and leader. It was a lot to ask of a player who was just 22 years old at the time, but he passed the test. Things haven't gone as smoothly in his third year, though.  

Of the Chiefs' first 12 games this season, Bolton has been active for just a third of them. In those four contests, he has 28 tackles, an interception and a pass broken up. To highlight his lack of availability even further, he was held under 80% participation in both of the outings he got hurt in: Week 2 against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Week 7 versus the Los Angeles Chargers. A high-ankle sprain had him on the shelf for Weeks 3-5, and the wrist ailment has held him back since the end of October. Now on the mend and looking to get back in the fold, Bolton is primed to do something Tranquill has done for most of this year — step up. Defensive tackle Chris Jones couldn't be more excited for it to (potentially) happen.

"I'm excited to have my linebacker back," Jones said. "That's my linebacker, man, so I'm excited to have him back. I know he makes a huge difference for this defense — his leadership, his play-calling, his adjustments to the game. He does a tremendous job for us as a leader." 

Bolton isn't completely out of the woods just yet, as he still has to get officially activated off the injured reserve list and added back to the active 53-man roster. If that happens, he'll be cleared to suit up and make his return to the field for the first time since that aforementioned Week 7 game. Someone getting injured never provides any positives other than whatever silver linings are found, and the Bolton-Tranquill dynamic is a perfect example of that. As Tranquill continues to jump through hoops and attempt to get back in action, Bolton projects to step back in and help keep the Chiefs' defense afloat. The team is ready for it.