The Kansas City Chiefs might have lost a bit of depth at the linebacker position this past offseason, but the early-season results aren't showing any signs of regression. Drue Tranquill and Nick Bolton have been incredible to start the 2026 season, and that has helped cover up the loss of Leo Chenal, who signed with the Washington Commanders and recently underwent season-ending neck surgery.
Through three games, Bolton leads the team in total tackles (28), on pace for his second straight 150-plus tackle season. Two of those have been for a loss in the backfield, and he has also batted down a pair of passes as well.
Tranquill is not far off, having 22 total tackles himself, three of them for a loss and one pass defended. Both Chiefs backers rank in the top 70th percentile or better when it comes to coverage grade paired with run defense.
Partial credit is due to Steve Spagnuolo, as the defensive coordinator makes a habit of getting the very best out of his pieces. It isn't a surprise that two veteran leaders on the Chiefs' defense are performing well, and it has aided the franchise in jumping out to a 3-0 start.
Nick Bolton and Drue Tranquill have been key cogs in a young and growing Kansas City defense
Through three games, the Chiefs rank 6th in the league in total yards allowed (277.2) despite a poor performance versus the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2. While perhaps their opponents offensively so far haven't been elite offenses, there is hope that as the season progresses, so will Spags' young defense.
It will be interesting to watch how the Kansas City season continues to develop as they lean on a surprising mix of an elite run game and a shockingly strong defense. No question, there isn't a reasonable outcome that offered KC linebackers a better start.
To put it simply, everything that the Chiefs are doing defensively early in the year has staying power. The only real concern is injuries derailing a unit with really high potential. As long as the KC linebacker group can stay healthy, the rest of the roster should fall in place with time.
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