Nick Bolton knows the task in front of him—and the rest of the Kansas City Chiefs defense—is considerable. The Chiefs' top linebacker is the captain of a unit with a responsibility on Sunday that only two teams have been able to accomplish so far in the 2025 season: limiting the Indianapolis Colts.
Few could have predicted before the start of the 2025 season that the Colts would be the league's offensive juggernaut. Daniel Jones was available for any team to sign on the open market, and he settled for a single-season deal to compete for the Colts' starting gig, hoping that the change of scenery would reinvigorate his career.
Through 10 games, the Colts have the NFL's top-scoring offense. Jones has been sensational in the role, which has Indianapolis thinking about making a long-term commitment after years of watching last-gasp efforts from aging veterans. The Colts are 8-2 and are coming off of two weeks of rest with the goal of making a statement at Arrowhead against the Chiefs in Week 12.
Bolton in particular says he relishes the chance to try to slow the Colts' biggest weapon: running back Jonathan Taylor. The Colts' back leads the NFL in rushing yards and is a solid candidate for MVP, if only the league would reward anyone but quarterbacks with the honor.
Nick Bolton spoke on Wednesday about the challenge of slowing the Colts and correcting course for the Chiefs.
"As an inside linebacker, you look for these matchups. You've got a great opportunity, a great o-line, Quinten Nelson especially. Then you got Jonathan Taylor as well. So, as an inside backer, I'm personally proud of myself playing the run. It's an opportunity of a lifetime for me."
Taylor is only part of the overall problem for the Chiefs defense. Jones has plenty of weapons to choose from on any given play if the Colts take to the air. Rookie tight end Tyler Warren is one of the most exciting players at his position of any age. Wide receivers like Alec Pierce, Josh Downs, and Michael Pittman form a solid trio.
For the Chiefs, coming off of another disheartening loss and facing the prospect of dropping under .500 in the final stretch of the season, the stakes could not be any higher for Kansas City. But Bolton says the team is not panicking. Instead, they're just focused on what they can control.
“[We’re] just kind of honing in on the details," said Bolton. "I mean, the margin of error in this league is super small, so just make sure everybody's in the right space at the right time, executing the game plan, just doing the little things that give us a chance.
“The only thing you can ask for in this league is a chance to go out there and win a football game, and to not beat ourselves, and so that's kind of where our mindset is right now.”