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The Kansas City Chiefs made two roster moves ahead of Week 8. Linebacker Nick Bolton was placed on IR due to his wrist injury, officially, and veteran safety Deon Bush was elevated from the practice squad.
The Chiefs did not announce a 53-man replacement for Bolton at this time, nor did they announce one for wide receiver Justyn Ross — who was put on the Commissioner’s Exempt List by the NFL following his arrest.
That means KC will enter the Denver Broncos rematch with 51 players — plus Bush. Keep in mind only 48 of those players will actually dress, so there will just be fewer inactives than usual.
Chiefs LB Drue Tranquill Will Be Called Upon to Replace Nick Bolton Once Again
The Chiefs’ Drue Tranquill signing is looking smarter and smarter. Bolton started all 17 games in 2022 — along with three playoff starts — but he’s been hit by the injury bug so far in 2023.
The middle linebacker and defensive team leader first missed three outings from Week 3 through Week 5. Now he’ll miss four more starts at minimum after being placed on IR.
Needless to say, the injuries make Tranquill more and more important.
Kansas City first signed the veteran because of his versatility and intelligence. Tranquill is a guy that can play each linebacker position without missing a beat.
He’s not Bolton, don’t get me wrong, but the drop-off isn’t nearly as dramatic as it would be when another franchise’s star defender goes down.
Taking over as the starter in Week 3, Pro Football Focus graded Tranquill out at a 73.1. He was considered a plus-tackler, but he also only allowed one reception in coverage and applied two quarterback pressures (one sack) on the QB.
His efforts were a little more mixed against the New York Jets the following weekend.
While Tranquill’s run defense and pass rush (two more QB pressures) were solid in Week 4, his tackling and coverage grades took a bit of a dive. Two missed tackles and six catches allowed were the culprits.
Tranquill was similarly targeted through the air in Week 5, but his tackling grade improved despite lower run defense marks than his first two starts.
So, has the veteran been perfect in relief of Bolton? Clearly, he has not, but Tranquill has also done enough to fill the void and help lead the Chiefs to three victories.
It’ll be interesting to see how the fifth-year pro performs over Bolton’s second prolonged absence of the year.
Chiefs S Deon Bush Fulfills Dave Toub’s Elevation Promise
On October 26, A-to-Z Sports KC media member Charles Goldman relayed that assistant head coach and “Chiefs [special teams] coordinator Dave Toub says the team could bring a [linebacker] or [safety] up from the practice squad this week for ST purposes.”
That elevation ended up being Bush, a veteran who has earned a reputation as a core special teamer at the NFL level.
According to Pro Football Focus, Bush registered 373 special teams snaps during the 2022 regular season and playoffs combined — the most of his career. He played on every ST unit except field goal attempts.
The defensive back had a similar track record with the Chicago Bears. He spent six years in the Windy City after entering the league as a fourth-round pick.
Despite serving a grittier role, Bush was a key ST contributor throughout the Chiefs’ Super Bowl run last season.
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