Here’s the 1 Chiefs Snub on All-Pro Team

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – For the first time since he was in college at Missouri, Nick Bolton gets to celebrate his Granny’s birthday with her at the end of this month.

An All-Pro selection would’ve been nice to celebrate, too. Maybe even a single All-Pro vote from the national panel of writers and broadcasters? He got neither.

Kansas City's 6-11 finish didn't help

Clearly, the Chiefs’ 6-11 record robbed Bolton of recognition. He was the Chiefs’ starter most deserving of All-Pro honors, other than the only player that earned it on Saturday, center Creed Humphrey.

“Yeah, I think I did a good job,” Bolton said Monday afternoon, looking back at his fifth NFL season. “Honestly, my main goal is to play all the games I had available throughout the season, just want to be there for all 18 weeks just to give us opportunity to win football games.”

The defense gave up critical plays, especially in a few end-of-game situations, but Steve Spagnuolo’s unit had a strong year. And Bolton was Spagnuolo’s flagship player.

The Chiefs’ defense ranked first in the league in preventing fourth-down conversions (26.1 percent) and opponent carries of 20-or-more yards (five). They were second among NFL teams in preventing explosive plays (only 169 plays of 10-plus yards), tied for fourth in fewest opponent first downs (291).

ashton gillott — Dec 14, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Ashton Gillotte (97) returns an interception during the first half against the Los Angeles Chargers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Chiefs finished well in points, yards allowed

Kansas City also ranked sixth in points allowed per game (19.3) and 10th in average yards allowed (301.5). In the red-zone, the Chiefs gave up touchdowns on only 52.94 percent of possessions, eighth in the league.

And Bolton was in the middle of the defense for 1,012 defensive snaps, 97.3 percent. His 154 tackles were his most in three years. He also finished with a sack and interception, one key goal-line forced fumble at Jacksonville, and six passes defensed – several of which nearly resulted in interceptions.

Those 154 tackles ranked tied for sixth in the NFL. His nine stuffs were fifth in the league and his six passes defensed were among the most in the league among inside linebackers. But tackles meant the most, he said.

“Yeah, 150 tackles,” Bolton explained Monday, “I think as a ‘backer, that’s a goal for yourself. There’s guys in this league who’ve done that for long periods of time, so that's kind of like my threshold.”

The threshold for All-Pro at his position was pretty steep, though. Seventeen players got at least one vote, with Detroit’s Jack Campbell and Miami’s Jordyn Brooks earning the only two first-team selections.

Other Chiefs receiving All-Pro votes

Other than Humphrey, six other Chiefs received at least one All-Pro vote. Each ballot listed two players per position, with first-place votes worth three points and second-place votes worth one.

Defensive tackle Chris Jones had eight points, with one first-place vote. Travis Kelce finished with three points at tight end and, despite battling injuries, Trey Smith had eight points and two first-place votes at guard.

Trent McDuffie received one point as a slot cornerback, Leo Chenal had one as a special-teams player and James Winchester received five points with one first-place vote as a long-snapper.

trey smit — Sep 14, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith (65) at the line of scrimmage against the Philadelphia Eagles during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Four Chiefs earned Pro Bowl honors in 2025: Humphrey, Kelce, Jones and Smith. But Jones said last month that as players progress, they understand that All-Pro is the most coveted honor.

“Early on in my career,” Jones said Dec. 23, “I always wanted to make the Pro Bowl and everything, but the first time making it, I made it as a backup; I made it as an alternate, and that's when I realized that none of it really matters.

“I play to win rings, man. The Pro Bowl, it's never been my go-to. All-Pro is a little different. Because you're the best at your position, but the Pro Bowl is like more so popularity.”

And while Bolton plays for rings, too, he’s able to see the silver lining of a few weeks the Chiefs don’t normally have. He’s looking forward to healing his body and mind before next season.

“Yeah, absolutely,” he added Monday, “the extended offseason, I haven't had one since I've been here. So, we got a couple months to kind of just rest and get away from it a little bit. And I got some time for some of the things that have kind of been bugging me. We got some nicks and bruises. Been playing football for quite a while now.

“So, getting get ahead of some things. I know some guys were kind of banged up at the end of the year, kind of needed that little extra time to kind of get their bodies right. So, you can do those things. Also, spend some time with family, some things we haven't had the time to do, especially me.”

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