Whether it’s talking or chasing down ballcarriers, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton always seems to be in a hurry.
This week, however, Bolton will be taking things a little slower and resting up as the Chiefs earned a bye week after claiming the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. But when the team returns next week and things get ramped up for the playoffs, Bolton said they will be focused on one thing.
“Our next goal is to compete for a Super Bowl,” Bolton said. “And we’ve got a week off and when we come back, we’re going to try to compete for that as well.”
Winners of seven straight AFC West titles, Bolton has been part of the last two with the Chiefs. Selected out of Missouri in the second round in 2021, Bolton’s 180 tackles this season set a new franchise record. The old record was held by Derrick Johnson in 2011, although the schedule was just 16 games back then.
Still, Bolton admits that his fast track to being one of the top young linebackers in the NFL wasn’t something he could’ve done on his own. It took a lot of help from his teammates, including defensive tackle Chris Jones and fellow linebacker Willie Gay.
“It’s just him being him,” Bolton said of Jones. “He’s not trying to be anybody else. He knows who he is. He comes in every single day and tries to give his best and that’s the only thing we can ask for. He comes in and plays three-technique with a shade, plays the end, plays the pass, works off double teams and he keeps the linebackers clean.
“It’s been a benefit for me for sure and also for Willie and the other guys. We always know Chris is going to get the slide, so backside usually gets one-on-ones and that helps the backside generate pressure and that’s good for our defense as well.”
Bolton had 10 games where he recorded 10 or more tackles, and he also intercepted two passes this season. And Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Bolton has been everything they hoped for when they drafted him.
“It’s his instincts, it’s his ability to tackle in tight areas,” Reid said. “He’s having an All-Pro season. He’s a heck of a football player.”
But even more than his combination of size, speed, relentlessness and hard hitting, Bolton said perhaps the biggest key to the team’s overall success is the Chiefs’ culture.
“Since I came here the standard has always been winning,” Bolton said. “In training camp, we bust our butts off to try to put ourselves in position to win games and ultimately win the AFC West. Coach Reid, Coach Spags (Steve Spagnuolo), they do a great job pushing us every single day trying to put ourselves in that position.
“And as we keep going, when the roads get tough, it brings us together. And we lean on our leaders a lot and it forces us to grow together. The young guys, they’ve been terrific. And buying into the culture and pushing themselves every single day to get better, that’s what it takes to be good in this league.”
ATLANTA PICKED FOR POTENTIAL CHIEFS-BILLS AFC TITLE GAME
The NFL announced Thursday that Atlanta will be the site for the AFC championship game if the Chiefs and Bills play each other. The game would be at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 29 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
