Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton just got a big honor from his college days, and Pro Football Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher thinks the NFL still isn’t paying enough attention.
Bolton was announced as part of the University of Missouri Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2026, alongside former Mizzou quarterback Drew Lock and longtime Tigers assistant coach Andy Hill. Brett McMurphy broke the news on X, and it’s a legit milestone for a guy who left Columbia in 2020 and has quietly turned into one of the most consistent linebackers in the league.
Bolton doesn’t have a Pro Bowl on his résumé. But he’s been a full-time starter every single season since the Chiefs drafted him in the second round. Last year he racked up 154 tackles, 10 of them for loss. That’s not flashy. That’s just work.
“Just an honor,” Bolton said, according to mutigers.com. “The state, the city from Columbia all the way to Kansas City. It has kind of been my home and my peace. Lot of friends. Lot of memories. Proud of you guys. Y’all helped me get to this. And help me be who I am as well.”
Urlacher Says Bolton Is Underrated
Brian Urlacher, the Hall of Fame linebacker who anchored the Chicago Bears defense for over a decade, spoke up about Bolton recently. And he didn’t hold back.
“Man, that dude gets it,” Urlacher told chiefswire.com. “He’s very overlooked, but Fred Warner is great. But Bolton, maybe just because all the players on that team, he doesn’t get the same respect. Chris Jones up front, and George Karlaftis, those guys up front, and they had the secondary guys, they were good. Nick Bolton does not get a lot of national exposure, and he should, because he makes a lot of plays.”
Urlacher is not wrong. Bolton’s best season came in 2022 when he posted 180 tackles, two sacks, nine tackles for loss, and two interceptions. And it’s not like that was a one-off. He’s picked off at least one pass in each of the last four seasons. For an off-ball linebacker in Steve Spagnuolo’s system, that’s legit.
“He has the picks, he has the fumbles, he has the sacks, the big plays, and he runs that defense so well as coach Spagnuolo,” Urlacher added.
The Chiefs are pretty thin at linebacker behind Bolton. Drue Tranquill is solid but Bolton is the anchor. With the draft and free agency looming, Kansas City might need to add some depth. But they know what they’ve got in No. 32.
Mizzou fans will get to see Bolton honored officially in 2026. In the meantime, he’ll be chasing another Super Bowl ring and proving Urlacher right.
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