c

Third-year LB Nick Bolton was designated to return from injured reserve on Wednesday, opening his 21-day practice window. He might not return for Week 13 against the Green Bay Packers, but the team’s starting MIKE linebacker will eventually make his return. The player who filled in for him, well, he’s done about as great a job as you could ask according to Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo.

“What I think gets lost in the whole translation here is we lost a really good football player in Nick Bolton for a number of games here,” Spagnuolo said. “And yet – I think I’ve said this before – we slide Drue (Tranquill) in there and really haven’t skipped a beat in terms of having to cut things back, the communication, you guys know that the back end and linebackers have to be like this (hands together motion) – the chemistry. We didn’t lose that at all – and sometimes that happens. I’ve been down that road before where the mike linebacker whose been the communicator and the signal caller, we’ve lost them, and it takes a little while.”

Justin Reid elaborated, noting all of the different things that everything Tranquill was responsible for.

“Ah man, to come into this defense and to play mike (Line)backer and all the different checks and coverages and responsibilities getting the defensive line set the right way, making audibles on what coverages we’re playing and where to send the pressures at based on the looks you’re getting – it’s a lot on the mental side of it,” Reid said. “But then to also pair that with the physical ability to go in and attack centers, beat running backs on blocks, tackle tight ends and sometimes guard receivers too, he’s (LB Drue Tranquill) done a phenomenal job for us to be able to come in and do it but that’s the reason why we brought him here.”

Ultimately, Tranquill did exactly what the team brought him in for, and he did so at a high level. Even in Bolton’s return, they’ll continue to find ways to use both players and get them on the field.

“We didn’t skip a beat with Drue, we’re really fortunate we got him,” Spagnuolo said. “I mean (General Manager) Brett Veach and his crew identifying him as a player we could get and him being willing to come here knowing that we had a lot of linebackers. He’s a team guy. I know his teammates love him, and I love what he’s doing for us so I can’t say enough about Drue.”

Dave Toub gives a return specialist update: