5 Chiefs Leaving Kansas City in the New Year
2025 is finally here and the Kansas City Chiefs have a lot to look forward to in the New Year.
Winning a third straight Super Bowl seems like an achievable goal as the Chiefs enter Week 18 with an AFC-best 15-1 record. Andy Reid & Co. have fought through all of the adversity they've faced this season and it's now the time of the year for all that hard work to pay off.
Not only will the upcoming postseason offer the Chiefs a shot at yet another Lombardi Trophy, but it also marks what'll likely be the final playoff run for several players. Whether it's because of an expiring contract or abysmal regular-season performance, several players are likely leaving Kansas City in 2025 for better or worse.
With that in mind, here are five Chiefs who are likely leaving town in the New Year.
1. Nick Bolton, LB
After missing nine games in 2023 due to a wrist injury, Nick Bolton is in the middle of a career year.
The veteran linebacker has excelled at giving headaches to opposing offenses this season. In 16 appearances so far, Bolton has racked up 73 solo tackles while tallying six defended passes, three sacks, one interception, and a forced fumble.
That's without mentioning how his 65.4 defense and 66.1 coverage grades on Pro Football Focus are among the upper-half marks when it comes to LBs.
Having said that, Bolton's rookie contract expires this offseason, meaning he'll hit free agency in March Although the Chiefs would love to retain the ex-Missouri product's services, re-signing him could be easier said than done considering how they're projected to have just $21.3 million in cap space with 18 unrestricted free agents to address, per Spotrac.
Bolton is a game-changing linebacker but it's clear that general manager Brett Veach must work some magic if he wants to retain the former's services. Other times with more cap space won't hesitate to line up and throw money at the 24-year-old LB, especially if he's only scratching the surface of his potential.