The Las Vegas Raiders defense was rather busy last season given the cause on the offensive side was limited. After seeing success from their defensive line without star Maxx Crosby, the Raiders could be in the sweepstakes to poach a key asset from their division rivals defense.
The Kansas City Chiefs have a ton of free agents hitting the market once free agency opens, one being linebacker Nick Bolton. Bolton has been reeking havoc against the Raiders since breaking into the league with Kansas City back in the 2021 season. Perhaps Bolton will stay in the AFC West next season.
According to CBS Sports’ Jeff Kerr, Bolton is the fifth ranked linebacker available in free agency. After winning two Super Bowls with the Chiefs, Kerr has the Raiders as a potential landing spot for Bolton in 2025 and beyond.
“An underrated player at his position, Bolton has been a consistently good player on the Chiefs defense during their Super Bowl runs. He finished with 106 tackles and 3.0 sacks to go with six passes defensed. Bolton had 100+ tackles in three of his four seasons, providing great value for the Chiefs as a second-round pick,” Kerr wrote.
“Excellent against the run, Bolton is a strong player at the MIKE. The Chiefs may just let him go elsewhere (as they have with back-seven players in the past), but that may not be the best decision.”
Kerr would go on to report that the Raiders, the Chiefs, and the Tennessee Titans would be the best fit for the star linebacker. While it seems hard to picture Bolton elsewhere given the success he has had thus far in Kansas City, there is a world where the Raiders can bring him in to speed up the rebuild.
According to Spotrac.com, Bolton is projected to get around $12 million a year in free agency, and given the Raiders extensiveness in cap space, the deal could get done. Going into his age 25 season, Bolton has already shown he is a top linebacker in the game. Perhaps he is just getting started.
If Bolton does end up heading back to Kansas City, the Raiders must prioritize their offensive upgrades to combat facing the Chiefs and Bolton again in 2025.