5 Chiefs Most to Blame for the Super Bowl Collapse
By Cem Yolbulan
4. Nick Bolton
Another momentum-killing penalty came from Nick Bolton in the first half. After a solid defensive possession that got the Eagles in a bad field position in the second quarter, Nick Bolton had a late hit on Saquon Barkley. He was called for unnecessary roughness, and instead of a third-and-26, the Eagles got the first down.
Nick Bolton with the late hit to turn what would have been 3rd-and-26 into an Eagles first down pic.twitter.com/E6ME5XXHcB
— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) February 10, 2025
The Chiefs didn't lose this game on the defensive end. Steve Spagnuolo and the defensive unit played fine overall. There were some poor individual performers like Jaylen Watson and Charles Omenihu, but Nick Bolton was arguably the biggest question mark defensively.
Bolton started the game well. In the first Eagles drive of the game, he had a nice tackle on Saquon Barkley for a loss, but things went south quickly for the fourth-year player for the rest of the game.
Bolton gave up five receptions and allowed a touchdown in coverage, per Pro Football Focus. He had a missed tackle to go with lapses in coverage, as he received a 56.0 defensive grade on PFF through the first three quarters of the game.
The talented linebacker carries his up-and-down performance throughout the season and the Super Bowl into the offseason. Bolton's free agency will be one of the toughest decisions for GM Brett Veach.