Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton has undergone surgery on his fractured wrist in Los Angeles. After confirming the news, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said he was unsure of how long Bolton, a former Missouri Tiger, would be sidelined, or if a move to season-ending injured reserve could be in the cards. Reid confirmed that a pin to stabilize Bolton’s wrist was not needed, and that could be seen as a positive for getting him back on the field sooner.
Bolton was injured in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 31-17 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, with a Charger receiver landing on Bolton’s exposed wrist in the course of a midfield tackle. Last season, Bolton, a second-round pick in the 2021 draft, had a breakthrough season with 180 tackles, two sacks, and two interceptions. He had a fumble return for a touchdown in Kansas City’s Super Bowl victory over Philadelphia in February.
In Bolton’s absence, more responsibility will be placed on first-year players Drue Tranquill and Charles Omenihu. Tranquill has racked up 36 tackles in the first seven weeks of the season with KC after being signed as a free agent from the Chargers in the offseason, while Omenihu, an offseason acquisition from the 49ers, returned from a six-game suspension last week, picking up a sack and a pass deflection that directly led to an interception for a much-improved Chiefs defense.
