The National Football League recognized the strong play of Kansas City Chiefs' linebacker Nick Bolton on Thursday, as the University of Missouri product earned "Defensive Rookie of the Month" honors for October.
Bolton recorded 32 total tackles during that four-game stretch – which ranked second among all rookies – while racking up the second-most tackles-for-loss (7) of any player in the league in that time. He was particularly productive over the last two weeks, tallying 26 total tackles (the third-most in the NFL) and four tackles-for-loss.
Additionally, Bolton's performance against the Tennessee Titans in Week 7 marked the first time that a rookie amassed 15+ tackles and 4+ tackles-for-loss in a single game since at least 1999. That outing unfortunately came in a losing effort, but Bolton maintained his strong play in last week's victory over New York with a team-most 11 total tackles.
The folks at Pro Football Focus currently rank Bolton's tackling ability as the best among all rookie linebackers and the fourth-best among all rookie defenders overall, further exemplifying what's been a strong start to his young career.
The former second-round pick is the first member of the Chiefs to earn Defensive Rookie of the Month honors since cornerback Marcus Peters did so in 2015, and if he keeps this up, more awards could be on the way.
