The Kansas City Chiefs have several key players from their 2021 NFL draft class who are entering a contract year in 2024.
One of those players is former Missouri LB Nick Bolton, a second-round pick who quickly emerged as a leader on the defensive side of the ball for Kansas City. He wears the green dot on the defensive side of the ball, acting as a relay for Steve Spagnuolo's playcalling on the sidelines.
Beyond that, he's proven to be a talented playmaker for the Super Bowl champions. He's recorded 352 total tackles, 21 tackles for loss, two sacks, three interceptions, nine passes defended, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in 41 career regular season games played over three seasons. His postseason contributions are equally impressive. They're highlighted by the performance he had in Super Bowl LVII, with a fumble recovery for a touchdown which helped lift the Chiefs over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Bolton aims to get an extension beyond the upcoming season , but he's hopeful the contract situation will handle itself after he completes the final year of his rookie deal.
Bolton eyes three-peat attempt, not extension talks
Speaking to The Draft Network's Justin Melo in an exclusive Q&A interview , Bolton recently revealed that he's not seeking to get an extension done with the Chiefs quite yet. He's locked in and fully focused on the task at hand. That, of course, is to help his team become the first to win three consecutive Super Bowl titles.
"Honestly, no, I don’t want to talk extension before training camp," Bolton told Melo. "I just want to focus on getting through this season. We have one goal in mind right now, and that’s being the first team to ever win three Super Bowls in a row. That’s our mindset. I’ll let my contract handle itself after our season. I want to just go out there and play the best football I can play. I’m hoping at the end of the year, we can say we’re the first team ever to win three in a row."
Last season, Bolton dealt with injuries and missed a total of eight games. Drue Tranquill played MIKE linebacker in place of Bolton for a chunk of 2023, and he's since earned a new deal with the team . With so much on the line in 2024 from a personal and a team perspective, Bolton says he's highly motivated to make the best of the upcoming campaign.
"It just adds motivation to my mindset," Bolton said. "We all work our butts off our entire lives to make it to the NFL. Once you get there, it starts being about that second contract. It just adds extra motivation for me to go out there and be who I am. I’m not going to change who I am and what I do. I’m not going to change how I play or conduct myself in the locker room. I’m going to prepare with the same mentality. I’m going to try and be better at everything I do."
When the appropriate time comes, Bolton says he and his representatives will sit down and talk shop regarding a contract extension.
"We’ll talk contract after we achieve our goals as a team," Bolton said. "I’m just trying to control what I can control."
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