Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton missed only one game in his first two seasons. He missed nine last season with multiple injuries and played less than 100 percent in others.
“I got a lot true to myself, first and foremost, not necessarily to the outside,” Bolton said, via Ed Easton of USA Today. “I feel I can play a lot better football. I think last year’s kind of the first year where I battled some adversity in terms of injuries in my career period, and so things like toughness with that, learning who I am as a person, learning who I can lean on outside of football.
“Now, I think it means to be a better person, a better leader, be able to learn and sit up from the outside and learn from Spags [Steve Spagnuolo] and why he calls different things, and it helps me play a little bit faster. So yeah, I think I’m excited for this year to get out there and show what I can do.”
Bolton had a wrist injury and to parts of the left side of his body. He totaled only 60 tackles, an interception and three passes defensed.
“Not being able to use my whole left side,” Bolton said. “Man, I had my wrists messed up. I had a cast on it. My elbow, my left ankle [also were injured], so I was trying to get through a little Humpty Dumpty all the way to the Super Bowl.
“So I was trying to find a way to play, get out there, and give my team a chance to win. So that’s kind of what I was going through last year.”
A healthy Bolton will help the Chiefs defense as much as anything as they head toward the 2024 season.