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The Kansas City Chiefs re-signed linebacker Nick Bolton before the start of NFL free agency.
Earlier today on March 9, the Kansas City Chiefs came to terms on a massive three-year, $45 million agreement with middle linebacker Nick Bolton — per ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, among others. It included $30 million “fully guaranteed at signing.”
While this is great news for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and all of Chiefs Kingdom, few were more excited than superstar defensive lineman and teammate Chris Jones.
“Let’s gooooooo! 🤟🏾💪🏾” Jones commented on X, quoting the Bolton news.
And according to those covering the team, there’s good reason to be as pumped as Jones about Bolton’s new deal.
Nick Bolton’s Presence Within Chiefs Defense Is Invaluable to DC Steve Spagnuolo
One could argue that Bolton and Jones have been the two most important players on the Chiefs defense since the former entered the league as a second-round selection in 2021. And their respective influence on this unit goes well beyond the stat sheet.
“Every player on the Chiefs defense will tell you that Nick Bolton is Steve Spagnuolo’s favorite, and there is a reason,” Chiefs Digest insider Matt Derrick relayed after getting wind of the reunion. “The complexity of the KC defense is completely dependent on the MIKE linebacker. If you trust in Spags, in Bolton you trust too.”
Similarly, A-to-Z Sports Kansas City reporter Charles Goldman stressed why this is a win-win all around for KC and their defensive team leader.
“Spags gets to keep his guy at MLB. Bolton gets to continue playing in an area he considers to be home. [Plus] Chiefs keep him off a 2025 free agency market where he was expected to have other suitors in the AFC West,” Goldman noted.
At age 25 tomorrow on March 10, the new contract serves as a nice early birthday present for Bolton. Entering year five of his NFL career, the linebacker has already won two Super Bowls while also forcing 6 turnovers and accumulating 458 regular season tackles (32 for a loss), 17 regular season QB hits and 15 regular season pass defenses.
In the playoffs alone, Bolton has racked up an additional 102 total tackles (5 for a loss), 3 QB hits, 2 pass defenses and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
