There were multiple defensive starters out for the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1. Still, perhaps the biggest letdown for fans was not getting to see second-year linebacker Willie Gay Jr. after an impressive performance in training camp.
In his place, another young linebacker had to step up. Rookie Nick Bolton got the start, and he played 76% of the snaps in the 33-29 victory over the Cleveland Browns. He racked up seven total tackles, including four by himself, with one of them being a tackle for loss.
He played slightly more than veteran linebacker Ben Niemann, indicating the coaching staff had a lot of trust in him.