KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs and linebacker Nick Bolton have agreed to a three-year, $45 million contract that keeps the quarterback of their defense out of free agency, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Sunday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract had not been announced.
The Chiefs selected the 24-year-old Bolton in the second round of the 2021 draft out of Missouri, making the Texas native a homegrown star of sorts. He has started 53 of the 57 regular-season games he has played for Kansas City over the past four seasons, and helped the Chiefs win a pair of Super Bowl rings and make it to the big game again this past season.
Bolton's best season came in 2022, when he made 180 tackles in 17 games while picking off a pair of passes for a team that ultimately beat the Eagles in the Super Bowl. He was limited to eight games because of injuries two years ago, and this past season appeared in 16 games, making 106 tackles with an interception and a career-high three sacks.
Most importantly, the Chiefs value Bolton's high IQ in coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's complex scheme. He wears the helmet with the radio connection to the coaching staff, and he's responsible for making sure the rest of the defense is properly aligned.
The Chiefs have been busy as they prepare for the start of free agency this week.
This past Wednesday, the Chiefs traded All-Pro offensive guard Joe Thuney to the Bears for a fourth-round pick in the 2026 draft. The decision to deal the 32-year-old Thuney was largely a financial one, freeing up $16 million in salary cap space that the Chiefs planned to use to help re-sign some of their stars — such as Bolton — and address other needs.
The Chiefs have used the franchise tag on Pro Bowl offensive guard Trey Smith, which means they are obligated to pay him $23.4 million next season unless the side work out a long-term deal. Some of the money they saved from Thuney's contract they could use to sign the 25-year-old Smith to a long-term contract extension.
They also used some of the salary cap space Saturday when the Chiefs agreed with wide receiver Marquise Brown on an $11 million contract for next season. The deal is similar to the one-year contract Brown signed last season, when he hoped he could parlay a big season with quarterback Patrick Mahomes into a lucrative long-term contract.
Instead, Brown dislocated a shoulder joint on the first snap of the preseason, and surgery kept Brown out until Week 15 of the regular season. Brown had nine catches for 91 yards in two games before sitting out the final week of the season. He added five catches for 50 yards in the playoffs, including two for 15 yards in the Chiefs’ 40-22 loss to Philadelphia in the Super Bowl.
The Chiefs still have a glaring hole at left tackle that they are likely to address in next month's NFL draft, and they could add more help at wide receiver and along the defensive line as they retool for another Super Bowl run.
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Dave Skretta, The Associated Press
