Chiefs LB raises eyebrows on projected $72 million extension

The Kansas City Chiefs defense deserves a lot of credit for the team’s back-to-back Super Bowl victories.

While the Chiefs kept several key defensive players this offseason, linebacker Nick Bolton’s future is uncertain.

Bolton, the Chiefs’ second-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft, is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Bolton is a key starter in Steve Spagnuolo’s defense and has been wearing the “green dot” since 2022. AtoZ Sports predicts Bolton will sign a four-year, $71.9 million contract, with $32 million completely guaranteed.

While many players prefer to sign their deals as soon as possible, Bolton has a different strategy. The 24-year-old told The Draft Network that he isn’t even ready to formally negotiate a new contract right now.

“I don’t want to discuss extensions until training camp. “I just want to focus on getting through this season,” Bolton added. “We have one aim in mind right now: become the first team to win three Super Bowls in a row. That is our mindset.

“I’ll let my contract handle itself after the season. I just want to get out there and play the best football I can. I’m hoping that at the end of the year, we’ll be able to boast that we’re the only team in history to win three consecutive games.”

Bolton is utilizing the wait to fuel his contract year. “It just adds motivation to my mindset,” he told me. “We all work our tails off our entire lives to make it into the NFL. Once you get there, the focus shifts to the second contract. It simply gives me more motivation to get out there and be myself.

Chiefs News: Nick Bolton Is ‘Prepared to Wait’ for a New Extension Until 2025

After a strong year in 2022, Bolton slumped due to injuries. In Week 2, he suffered a high ankle sprain, forcing him to miss three games. After dislocating his wrist against the Los Angeles Chargers on October 22, he missed five more games.

While Drue Tranquill proved to be an excellent backup, Spagnuolo was overjoyed when Bolton returned in December. “I tell you what he provides,” Spagnuolo told reporters. “He encourages me! I mean it. He provides energy. I know the players are feeling it in the huddle… Everyone understands what he’s about, what he contributes, and how he communicates.

Bolton totaled 60 tackles, three passes defensed, and one interception in eight games last season. In four playoff games, he recorded 40 total tackles and one pass defense. Bolton, who returns to the NFL in full health for the 2024 season, is certain that his performance will speak for itself when it comes to his contract extension.

“Hopefully at the end of the year, whenever the appropriate time comes, we’ll talk contract after we achieve our goals as a team,” Bolton said on The Draft Network. “I’m only trying to control what I can. Injuries and contracts are beyond my control. “I’m just going to be who I am on the field.”

Aside From Nick Bolton, the Chiefs Have Several Key Pending Free Agents in 2025

The Chiefs can extend Bolton whenever they choose, and they have around $15.4 million in cap room after moving L’Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans, among other offseason moves.

However, they may want to observe how Bolton recovers from his injury before committing him for the foreseeable future. To make matters worse, Bolton is not the only key starter set to receive a hefty contract extension in 2025.

In addition to Bolton, center Creed Humphrey, guard Trey Smith, and tight end Noah Grey all entering their contract years. Veteran safety Justin Reid will also be a free agency in 2025.

Bolton told reporters on April 15 that he intends to remain in Kansas City. “I’ve been in the state of Missouri going on seven years now, so it definitely feels like home,” Bolton told me.

“The fans and community have welcomed me with open arms when I arrived here at the age of 18. Staying here would be a blessing, a dream come true if we could do that in the near future.”