Tyrann Mathieu’s message to rookie Nick Bolton in 2021 is still inspiring the best from KC Chiefs players at training camp in 2026
Tyrann Mathieu’s leadership is still having a trickle-down effect on the Kansas City Chiefs’ defense five seasons removed from his time with the team. That’s all thanks to Nick Bolton sharing a lesson he learned from Mathieu as a rookie.
As KC Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton attends his sixth training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri, there’s a little bit of nostalgia on his mind.
That nostalgia only increased when he saw the original No. 32 helping out as a guest coach at training camp last week. Tyrann Mathieu came to contribute and help out on the defensive side of the ball, spending about a week with the team.
Bolton says he’s got a lot of pride in wearing the No. 32 and representing it the way Mathieu did. Seeing a veteran like that come back and contribute is a special thing for the Chiefs’ sixth-year linebacker.
Bolton is passing along Mathieu’s advice to a new generation of KC Chiefs defenders
With the linebacker room dealing with some injuries, new players have been stepping up and getting opportunities. Asked specifically about what he’s been trying to emphasize to second-year linebacker Jeffrey Bassa, Bolton recalled the message Mathieu gave him as a rookie.
“Man, take advantage of every opportunity you get,” Bolton said. “You really can’t count how many you get, but the ones you do get make you count. Man, it’s kind of just the message I had. Tyrann (Mathieu) gave me that same message when I was a rookie, when I got in there, and just kind of do what you got to do. Don’t let them take you off the field, and it’s kind of the same message for him.”
Players have to create value for themselves, and that’s what Bolton is telling Bassa to do. Make it a tough decision for the coaching staff to take you off the field. Make the most out of every opportunity to be out there, because you just don’t know when that opportunity is going to arise on game day. You have to be as prepared as possible.
Bassa is not the only player subject to this message from Bolton, though. The Chiefs have a pair of defensive rookies who are high draft choices playing in front of Bolton along the defensive line. Both Peter Woods and R Mason Thomas are expected to be key parts of the team’s front seven this year, and Bolton is emphasizing the same message to those players.
Woods and Thomas are already making an impression on Bolton
So far, Bolton estimates the rookies have done a bang-up job. For Bolton, it’s not just about those two rushing the passer. It’s about keeping blockers away from him so that he can do what he does best: Getting to the backfield and blowing up the run game.
“Yeah, I think they’ve been a fantastic job of, we call it, not repeating mistakes, but making new mistakes,” Bolton explained. “Doing them at full speed, and that kind of helps you get better as camp goes on. But yeah, doing a fantastic job up front, keeping blockers off of me, and obviously just rushing the passer. So, it’s gonna be great for those guys to kind of get their feet wet, especially with this preseason game coming up. But it’s been great for us so far.”
The preseason will provide another chance for these players to follow the advice Mathieu gave Bolton years ago. Bassa will continue to grow, and young players like Woods and Thomas will get their feet wet. They’ll have a chance to take advantage of every opportunity they get.
Each of those three players will have plenty of opportunity as the Chiefs face the Rams in preseason Week 1. Things will be rather vanilla in terms of game plan and scheme. But that doesn’t mean a flash play can’t happen. It could well be what helps them enter the circle of trust with the KC Chiefs this upcoming season.
