KC Chiefs' Andy Reid Provides Postgame Update on Nick Bolton’s Wrist Injury

Kansas City's starting linebacker exited Sunday afternoon's game in the fourth quarter with a left wrist injury.

The Kansas City Chiefs defense shut out the Los Angeles Chargers in the second half of Sunday afternoon's game en route to a win, but the group didn't escape without one key member of the lineup getting knocked out of the game. 

With about eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, linebacker Nick Bolton made a tackle on Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen but was visibly shaken up at the end of the play. After attempting to get to the sideline bench area, the third-year man went down near the edge of the field and received attention to his left hand/wrist area. The team later deemed him questionable to return to the contest, although he didn't end up returning.

After the game, head coach Andy Reid had a bit of an update on where things stand with Bolton. The early diagnosis is a dislocated wrist, with Reid adding that the Chiefs will "see how he does" moving forward:

#Chiefs head coach Andy Reid says linebacker Nick Bolton has a dislocated wrist.

"We're working on that now, and we'll see how he does."

— Jordan Foote (@footenoted) October 22, 2023

#Chiefs head coach Andy Reid says linebacker Nick Bolton has a dislocated wrist. "We're working on that now, and we'll see how he does."

Despite missing some time near the end of the game, Bolton led the Chiefs in tackles with nine. The former second-round pick came on strong at the beginning of the season before suffering a high-ankle sprain in Week 2 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, an ailment that led to him missing three games in a row. Bolton was able to return for last week's win over the Denver Broncos, playing 46 defensive snaps and logging four combined tackles and an interception in the process.

If Bolton is out of any additional games moving forward, the Chiefs' defense will undoubtedly rely on offseason free agent pickup Drue Tranquill. The fifth-year linebacker played a combined 173 snaps in the three weeks Bolton missed, including back-to-back outings with 100% of snaps played in Weeks 4 and 5. More clarity from Reid on the specifics of Bolton's injury and recovery timeline may come on Monday or shortly thereafter.

Read More: Four Takeaways From the Chiefs' 31-17 Win Over the Chargers