KC Chiefs Opening 21-Day Practice Window for Nick Bolton

Bolton making his anticipated return to practice on Wednesday marks another step in his recovery from a wrist injury.

The Kansas City Chiefs are back at practice on Wednesday as the team prepares for a Sunday Night Football matchup against the Green Bay Packers. A key member of the defense is also getting back to work after several weeks on the injured reserve list.

According to head coach Andy Reid, linebacker Nick Bolton will practice in some capacity on Wednesday afternoon. With that said, Kansas City won't rush him back into the lineup. 

"Nick Bolton will get some work today," Reid said. "We'll just bring him along slowly and see how he does."

This is a development that many expected, as Reid hinted at Bolton's return when he spoke to the media on Monday. Wednesday will mark the beginning of the third-year linebacker's 21-day practice window being opened. This gives the Chiefs three weeks to ease Bolton back in and see how he responds to practicing as he continues to rehab from a dislocated wrist suffered during a Week 7 game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Until he's officially activated off IR, Bolton can practice without counting against the organization's 53-man roster total.

The initial estimate for Bolton's time missed was right around the six-week mark. He still has some time before hitting that point, so don't expect him to play this weekend against the Packers. It's still a positive sign that he got designated to return right after his required four-game inactivity period ended, though. In four games played this season, Bolton has played 85% of available snaps while recording 28 tackles and one pass broken up.

Part of the reason why the Chiefs aren't in a hurry with Bolton is the play of Drue Tranquill. The offseason free agent pickup has been the team's best linebacker this year, notching 70 tackles in 11 games (seven starts) with six tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Over the course of Kansas City's last four games, Tranquill has logged snap percentages of 99, 95, 98 and 100. The 28-year-old has the complete trust of defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, helping align the defense and lead the unit in his first year with the team.

Coming into the season, many were expecting the Chiefs' three-headed monster of Bolton, Tranquill and Willie Gay Jr. to emerge on defense. That depth has been tested in a different way through 11 games, as the latter two are carrying the torch with Bolton out and second-year man Leo Chenal is enjoying a very solid sophomore campaign. While it's unclear what everyone's respective workloads will look like once Bolton officially returns, it presents a good problem to have for everyone involved. Wednesday marks the first big step of that process. 

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