KANSAS CITY, Mo. —
Every rookie in the NFL making their debut, especially when it comes on opening day, wants to make that one impressive play that demonstrates their talent. The sooner such play occurs, the better.
For Chiefs rookie linebacker Nick Bolton, that took all of eight plays. He described the atmosphere on the field at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns as fantastic, with a boisterous crowd of more than 72,000 fans surrounding him. And in the first quarter, Bolton gave Chiefs fans a reason to cheer louder. The play involved Bolton executing three tasks well. He got a good jump on tight end Harrison Bryant, who attempted to block him. He then set the edge as running back Nick Chubb began to bounce his rushing attempt to the field’s perimeter. And with quickness, Bolton shedded Bryant’s block and tackled Chubb for a one-yard loss.
“I’m just trying to prove to myself that I can play in this league,” Bolton said. “That boosted my confidence. After that, I was just playing fast and trusting myself.”
A pleasant positive for the Chiefs in their comeback victory over the Browns was Bolton’s performance. As a starter, Bolton improved his play as the game progressed and finished with seven tackles, which tied for the team lead with cornerback L’Jarius Sneed and free safety Juan Thornhill.
Listed at 6-foot and 232 pounds, Bolton displayed his blend of strength and speed while not missing tackling opportunities against Chubb, a two-time Pro Bowler.
Before Wednesday’s practice, Bolton said that after reviewing the film of Sunday’s game, he gave himself a B-minus grade. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo predicted last week that Bolton would commit the usual rookie mistakes in his first NFL game. But Bolton’s main mistake — overeagerness on Browns plays that involved misdirection or play-action — can be considered minor when compared to how the rest of the Chiefs’ defense played in the first half without star safety Tyrann Mathieu and star defensive end Frank Clark.
“I thought Nick did a pretty good job,” coach Andy Reid said Monday. “He had a couple of real secure tackles that were important for us. It looked like mentally he was able to digest everything that they threw at him. If he did make a mistake, he fixed it the second time around.”
The biggest challenge against the Browns, Bolton said, wasn’t physically executing his assignments or the tempo of the game. Instead, Bolton didn’t want to make a mental error before the Browns snapped the ball. The most important teammate for him was linebacker Anthony Hitchens, the eight-year veteran who was next to him for most of his 45 snaps (76 percent of the Chiefs’ defensive snaps).
“It’s just reassuring to know that what you’re thinking before the snap, he is giving that confirmation that that’s right,” Bolton said of Hitchens. “That’s the biggest thing he gave me during the game. Going into the week, he gives me tips and keys of how to study film. He’s been a blessing for me.”
In the NFL Draft, the Chiefs, with the first of two second-round picks, used the 58th pick to select Bolton, who was the 39th-ranked prospect in the class, according to Dane Brugler, The Athletic’s NFL Draft analyst. A two-year starter at Missouri, Bolton was a team captain who recorded 95 tackles, 7½ tackles for loss, two sacks and five pass breakups.
The Chiefs learned in the offseason and in training camp that Bolton is a fast learner. He had repetitions at each of the major linebacker positions, and he performed well in the preseason. Spagnuolo rarely doles out a lot of snaps to rookies on opening day, doing so only when the unit’s circumstances demand such. But Spagnuolo acknowledged last week that Bolton’s skills and development were noticeable enough for him to be a part of the Chiefs’ game plan.
“He’s definitely starting way faster than I did last year,” second-year linebacker Willie Gay said of Bolton last month after the Chiefs’ preseason finale. “He’s smart and, of course, he’s athletic. To be on a level mentally as he is, it’s fun to watch him.”
During the draft, Gay used his Twitter account to predict the Chiefs were going to select Bolton and to express his approval of the team’s decision. Before becoming teammates, Bolton and Gay began their friendship four years ago when they met at a recruiting camp at Mississippi State.
Bolton was one of the first Chiefs to learn that Gay, who sustained a toe injury in the preseason finale, was going to be placed on the injured reserve list, forcing him to miss at least the first three games of the regular season.
“He sent me an encouraging message,” Bolton said of Gay. “He told me to just trust myself. Doing it for Willie, I know he’s going to come back strong for us. While I’m filling in for him, I just want to execute. He’s definitely a big brother. I’m looking forward to playing with him. When he gets back with us, I’m excited for what we’ve got.”
Gay, along with Reid and Spagnuolo, was happy to see how well Bolton played in the fourth quarter, when the Chiefs denied the Browns from scoring on their final three drives.
Bolton played a supportive role when star defensive lineman Chris Jones used his speed from the edge to sack quarterback Baker Mayfield for a 6-yard loss. Mayfield wanted to throw the ball to receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, who ran a slant route. But Bolton was in the proper spot in zone coverage, which forced Mayfield to hold on to the ball before being sacked. On the next snap, Bolton showed his speed and tenacity by tackling running back Kareem Hunt on the perimeter the moment after Mayfield’s pass was completed to surrender just a four-yard gain.
“We stayed ahead of the sticks,” Bolton said. “Plays started coming to me. I’m just looking forward to building on that.”
The next opponent for the Chiefs is the Baltimore Ravens, another AFC contender known for their rushing prowess. When watching the Ravens, Bolton knows he will have to be disciplined with his assignments against quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is capable of defeating opponents by passing the ball and running with it.
In Sunday’s game, the first teammate to praise Bolton — for his tackle for loss against Chubb and his reliable tackle of Hunt in coverage — was Hitchens. Even before the Chiefs’ opener, Hitchens predicted that he would commend Bolton plenty of times this season.
“He’s a natural,” Hitchens said of Bolton. “He’s smart and he owns up to his mistakes, so a guy like that, you can count on. He’s even keel. He just stays in the moment. Guys like that can play a long time in this league.”
Injury update
Every player participated in Wednesday’s practice. Backup center Austin Blythe (abdomen from sports hernia surgery) and defensive tackle Khalen Saunders (glute) were limited. Clark (hamstring spasm), star receiver Tyreek Hill (toe), running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (right inside ankle sprain), defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi (hip) and defensive end Mike Danna (groin) were full participants.
Mathieu wasn’t on the Chiefs’ injury report. He was a full participant in his first practice in two weeks after rejoining the active roster on Saturday. Mathieu missed Sunday’s game because he was on the NFL reserve/COVID-19 list for 10 days after testing positive for the virus earlier this month.
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