Tag: Anthony Hitchens

How much cap space do Chiefs have following Anthony Hitchens’ release?

Here is an updated look at the #Chiefs’ salary cap situation following Anthony Hitchens’ release.

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Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach has begun his work to get the salary cap in order ahead of the start of the 2022 league year and his first cost-cutting move was an expected one.

The Chiefs released LB Anthony Hitchens, who was in the final year of a five-year contract worth $45 million. The move saved the team $8.4 million in salary-cap space while only costing them $4.2 million in dead money.

According to the latest projections from Over The Cap, the Chiefs are expected to have around $11.2 million in salary-cap space to start the 2022 NFL offseason. That’s actually less than the Chiefs were projected to have at the beginning of February, but remember the NFL still needed to audit postseason bonuses on rollover money and the team added several reserve/future contracts since.

The Chiefs still have a number of cost-cutting moves to make, including simple restructures to the contracts of Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Chris Jones. An extension of Tyreek Hill could help them push some money from 2022 out into the future. They also have a decision to make on Frank Clark, who could save the team anywhere from $12.7 million to $19.5 million depending on whether he’s released outright or designated a post-June 1 release. Basically, this is only the beginning for the front office when it comes to freeing up salary-cap space.

Kansas City will need to make some of those moves rather quickly, though. The team will need around $16.5 million in cap space available in order to place the franchise tag on Orlando Brown Jr. in the coming weeks. They’ll also need to be under the salary cap by March 16th, when the new league year officially begins.

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Statements from Chiefs’ Andy Reid, Brett Veach on release of Anthony Hitchens

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid and GM Brett Veach praised LB Anthony Hitchens for his leadership in their statements following his release.

The Kansas City Chiefs made an expected offseason move on Tuesday, releasing LB Anthony Hitchens from his contract.

A four-year veteran, Hitchens accomplished a lot in Kansas City. The team made it to the AFC title game in each of his four seasons with the team, twice punching their ticket to the Super Bowl. He became a Super Bowl champion with the team in Super Bowl LIV, helping the team win a championship for the first time in 50 seasons.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid and GM Brett Veach issued statements along with the news of his release.

“I really enjoyed the opportunity to coach Anthony over the last four years,” Reid said. “He’s as tough as they come in this league and is a team-first player. I appreciate the way he came to work, ready to do his part, but also his willingness to teach the younger guys around him.”

Hitchens ultimately helped groom his replacement this season in rookie LB Nick Bolton. The Mizzou product credited Hitchens for the help and guidance he provided to him from an early point in the 2021 NFL season.

Veach knew that Hitchens would be that type of player in Kansas City. His selflessness and leadership were two of the qualities that made him a target when the Chiefs first signed him back in 2018.

“When I first became General Manager, one of the first moves I wanted to make was to bring in Anthony Hitchens from Dallas,” Veach said. “We knew how intelligent, hard working and consistent he was as a player, and we knew he’d become a selfless leader. He was that and more. He has all the intangibles and was an integral piece in our franchise winning a Super Bowl title. We appreciate everything he’s done for the organization and wish him the best as he continues his career.”

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Chiefs release veteran LB Anthony Hitchens

The #Chiefs have made their first cost-cutting move of the offseason, releasing veteran LB Anthony Hitchens.

The Kansas City Chiefs have made their first cost-cutting move of the 2022 NFL offseason.

The Chiefs announced on Tuesday that they had released LB Anthony Hitchens. The veteran was entering the final year of a five-year, $45 million deal signed back in 2018. He was set to carry a cap hit of $12.7 million in 2022, but the Chiefs save $8.4 million by releasing him and will incur a dead-money charge of just $4.2 million.

With the emergence of second-year LB Willie Gay Jr. and rookie LB Nick Bolton, the writing was on the wall that 2021 would be the last season for Hitchens in Kansas City. He’ll finish his Chiefs career having started 59 regular-season games and 11 postseason games. He’s worn the green dot for the Chiefs for the past four seasons, recording 381 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception, two forced fumbles and four passes defended.

Hitchens became a Super Bowl champion with the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV and he’ll always be remembered for his part in helping the team secure that victory.

Releasing Hitchens now gives him a head-start on finding a new team before the free agency period begins. That’s about as solid a move as the team can provide a veteran player when they’re being released.

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Chiefs LB Anthony Hitchens on emergence of Bills RB Devin Singletary

#Bills RB Devin Singletary didn’t do much back in Week 5, but he’s been the hot hand lately and #Chiefs LB Anthony Hitchens spoke about it on Friday. | from @EdEastonJr

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The NFL division round gets underway this weekend, with the Kansas City Chiefs hosting a familiar foe in the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night.

The primetime match-up will feature plenty of star players on both teams, each with a healthy respect for what the other brings to the table. The names Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen will naturally draw the most attention for this game, but it’s likely the game could be decided by the defenses for each team.

Chiefs linebacker Anthony Hitchens is one of the unit’s veterans and was on the field during the Week 5 loss against Buffalo earlier this season. Devin Singletary saw just six carries for 25 yards in that game and played second fiddle to Zack Moss. Singletary has since emerged as a much bigger threat and was the focus of Hitchens’ evaluations during Friday’s press conference.

“Yeah I think that they do a good job of sharing their carries between 20 (Zach Moss) and 26 (Devin Singletary) and Josh Allen, 17, so they do a good job with those three guys and just sharing the ball and getting different guys,” Hitchens said. “I think there’s an element to feeding the hot hand. Singletary has been hot lately, they’ve been feeding him. At the end of the day, we’re going to have to stop the run and make them one-dimensional and make them just pass the ball. I know Josh Allen is a great quarterback and he can throw it, but our chances increase when we make it one-dimensional.”

The Bills running game has evolved considerably over the season, which has opened more opportunities down the field for their receivers. Singletary led the team in rushing during the regular season with 870 yards and seven touchdowns and has been the hot hand lately. Hitchens and company know they must slow him down if they’re to give their secondary the best chance to stop Allen, Stefon Diggs and the rest of the Buffalo receiving corps.

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WATCH: Chiefs LBs Nick Bolton, Anthony Hitchens combine for big interception vs. Chargers

#Chiefs LBs Nick Bolton and Anthony Hitchens combined for a sweet interception on the #Chargers’ second offensive drive. | from @TheJohnDillon

After a hot start on both sides of the ball, the Kansas City Chiefs caught a huge break against the Los Angeles Chargers when linebacker Anthony Hitchens grabbed a clutch interception on a pass tipped by rookie Nick Bolton. The Chiefs’ defensive depth was called into question when they placed several key starters in COVID protocols and on the inactive list coming into this game.

Without Willie Gay Jr., many thought Kansas City would have a tough time against a Chargers offense that has been hot in recent weeks. Justin Herbert is Los Angeles’ franchise quarterback after a phenomenal rookie season that drew a comparison to Patrick Mahomes among others. The linebackers were keen to spoil the party in Week 15, though, and are out to prove that the Chiefs have depth at the position that could be an asset in the playoffs.

Check out the action on this play, and notice how quick Hitchens was to react to the play as it unfolded:

The Chiefs have a 3-point lead in this game after the combined effort from their linebackers, and they will look to continue keeping the Chargers’ offense at bay to extend their lead in the AFC West. With so much at stake in this game, Kansas City’s defense has no room to let up in their intensity, as no margin of victory is safe against an offense of Los Angeles’ caliber.

This interception marked the Chiefs’ 13th of the season and 24th turnover overall in their 2021 campaign. They’ve been on a tear during their six-game winning streak, with 16 of their turnovers coming in recent wins since Week 8. They have proven that they could evolve from their status as a liability to start the season into a force to be reckoned with that should be a tough out in any playoff scenario.

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Chiefs LB Anthony Hitchens praises Nick Bolton’s midseason rise

#Chiefs LB Anthony Hitchens had high praise for rookie LB Nick Bolton, who stepped up in a big way during his injury absence. | from @TheJohnDillon

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Eighth-year linebacker Anthony Hitchens has been a foundational piece of the Kansas City Chiefs’ defense the past few years.

While Hitchens was out with an injury elbow injury suffered in Week 6, he played an instrumental role in training the next MIKE linebacker for Kansas City in rookie Nick Bolton. Since then, the rookie has proven he belongs as a centerpiece of an NFL defense, producing in crazy numbers while also helping to keep the unit fundamentally sound as their de facto quarterback. Hitchens commented on the rookie’s development ahead of Wednesday’s practice, praising the hard work Bolton has put in, while also taking some credit for his role as a positional mentor.

“He works his tail off,” Hitchens said of the rookie’s progress. “And just because I wasn’t playing doesn’t mean I wasn’t in every single meeting and at every single practice. So yeah, I just take pride in what I do. So, if I’m not out there helping on the field, I’m going to be helping in the classroom and walkthroughs and practice. I just told him everything I knew for that week and he took it and ran with it, played his butt off for those weeks and still playing well. Yeah, good for him.”

While it is sure to be a bittersweet feeling to see another younger player step in and play so well under his tutelage, Hitchens seems to be taking his situation in stride. Focusing on the long-term outlook of the team as a whole and the defense specifically, Hitchens is proving to be the leader Kansas City has needed after such a disappointing start to their 2021 season.

Time will tell if Bolton can be the true successor to Hitchens’ spot at MIKE in the middle of the Chiefs’ defense, but it seems all parties involved are confident that the pieces are there, now it is just a matter of putting everything together, ideally in time for January football in 2022.

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Chiefs LB Nick Bolton credits Anthony Hitchens for his early-season development

He doesn’t know how the snaps shake out moving forward, but #Chiefs LB Nick Bolton credits Anthony Hitchens for his early on-field success. | from @EdEastonJr

The first half of the season was rough by the Kansas City Chiefs’ lofty standards, starting 2021 with a 4-4 record. A positive from the first half has been rookie linebacker Nick Bolton, who has quickly ascended to become an impact player on the much-criticized Chiefs defense.

Bolton has been a bright spot for Steve Spagnuolo’s crew, and the linebacker racked up over 40 tackles and seven tackles for loss in October. The high marks earned him NFL Defensive Rookie of The Month honors, shining the light of potential on what his career could be heading with the franchise. Bolton credited his early success to veteran linebacker Anthony Hitchens during Friday’s press conference.

“Everybody knows [Anthony] Hitch is one of those guys that is selfless, he helps you out throughout the rooms and stuff like that,” Bolton told reporters on Friday. “So, since he’s been out, he’s been like a coach. Like I said, he’s played a lot of football. I see things on film, I go watch film with him. He kind of gives me keys and things like that, maybe play a little bit faster, maybe communication I can make before the snap, I can help out as motion goes. Like I said, it’s always been a blessing for me to just learn behind him.”

Bolton’s notable standout performances took place two weeks ago, filling in for Hitchens at the MIKE linebacker spot, in a lopsided loss to the Tennessee Titans. The former Missouri Tigers star recorded 15 tackles, including nine solo stops, with the other four tackles for loss. He immediately showed appreciation for Hitchens in his postgame comments as well.

“Just calling plays was pretty much the difference,” Bolton said. “Everything else was pretty much the same week to week. Hitch (Anthony Hitchens) helped me out throughout the week and helped me get comfortable to go out there and play this week. So, a testament to him for that.”

With Anthony Hitchens returning from injury in Week 9, Bolton is not certain of how the snaps will shake out moving forward. He does know that whether he or Hitchens is in the lineup, they’ll be prepared to execute the game plan and compete at a high level.

“As things go forward, I’m not really sure in terms of playing time,” Bolton said. “That’s outside of my control, but I know me, and Hitch are going into the game, try to execute the game plan we have in front of us to the best of our abilities and go out there have fun and play fast.”

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Steve Spagnuolo details Chiefs’ plans for Nick Bolton with Anthony Hitchens returning from injury

Both players will get chances to play moving forward, but it sounds like #Chiefs LB Anthony Hitchens will return to his starting spot over Nick Bolton in Week 9.

The Kansas City Chiefs might be making a change at the linebacker position this week with the return of injured veteran Anthony Hitchens.

Hitchens, who has started at MIKE in Steve Spagnuolo’s defense since 2019, suffered what the team has described as a triceps contusion during the Week 6 win over the Washington Football Team. Filling in for Hitchens the past two weeks was rookie LB Nick Bolton, who impressed taking over as the defensive signal-caller. Bolton even earned NFL Defensive Player of the Month honors for October, in part for his performance the past two weeks.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Spagnuolo had nothing but effusive praise for the job Bolton has done this season.

“I just found out, not too long ago,” Spagnuolo told reporters. “I think Brett Veach texted it to me before I went out there for the walkthrough. So I haven’t even had a chance to (see Bolton) but I’m sure it’s a big smile. Listen, he’s played some really good football for us and he’s been impressive in regards to how much volume he has been able to absorb and that has helped us. Hopefully, it keeps going that way with him as well.”

Asked about how he’d handle things with Bolton playing so well and Hitchens returning from injury, Spags didn’t beat around the bush. He has always considered Hitchens as the “glue guy” on defense and explained that both players would have opportunities to play.

“Hitch (Anthony Hitchens) to me is the guy who smooth’s everything out,” Spagnuolo said. “He’ll be in there in certain situations. I’m sure we’ll have Nick (Bolton) in there in certain ones. I’m sure they’ll both be in there together, which is a good problem to have. Any time you can have intelligent, good football players at the linebacker spot, I think that’s a good thing for us.”

Asked specifically whether Hitchens could be utilized as the SAM linebacker, Spagnuolo shot down any notion of him playing a different position.

“I don’t know if we’ll go that route,” Spagnuolo said. “They’ll be — there’s usually four of those guys that work in there, really, and they’ll all get work. We’ve got packages for all of them, so we’ll get them in there.”

Bolton should still get opportunities in the base and nickel defense, but Hitchens’ return will cut into someone’s snap count. Whether that someone is Bolton, Willie Gay Jr. or Ben Niemann remains to be seen. Spagnuolo feels like he has a good problem on his hands here, but navigating it and ensuring the right players get snaps at the right times could prove to be a difficult task.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides injury updates prior to Thursday practice

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid provided injury updates ahead of practice on Thursday, telling reporters that 3 players would miss the first practice of the week.

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The Kansas City Chiefs will have their first practice of the week ahead of their Week 8 game against the New York Giants.

The contest occurs on “Monday Night Football” which means the Chiefs had an extra day off before getting started on practice this week. The extra day was good for players as they recover from the bumps and bruises suffered in the loss on Sunday.

Andy Reid provided his usual pre-practice update to reporters on Thursday, explaining that three players would miss practice for various reasons.

“Chris Jones is out for personal reasons,” Reid said. “Anthony Hitchens won’t practice today with a tricep contusion and Khalen Saunders’ knee swole up after the game. He won’t practice, but it looks like he’s doing pretty good here.”

Jones has been dealing with a wrist injury and dealt with a groin injury in the loss to the Titans. It’s good news that his absence from practice isn’t injury-related, but it’d also be better to see him practice. Reid added that he expects Jones back possibly Friday evening.

As for Hitchens, don’t expect him to play this week after the team protected LB Darius Harris on the practice squad for a second consecutive week. That signals Hitchens won’t be ready and that Harris will be elevated to the 53-man roster again. I’m not sure they’re in a rush to get Hitchens back on the field with the way Nick Bolton has played either.

Finally, Saunders is dealing with swelling in one of his knees. He’s been a bright spot and all-effort on the defensive line. Reid seemed to be optimistic that he was improving and could be back at practice soon.

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Chiefs rookie Nick Bolton gets start in place of injured LB Anthony Hitchens

With #Chiefs LB Anthony Hitchens ruled out due to injury, rookie Nick Bolton is getting the start at MIKE against the #Titans in Week 7.

The Kansas City Chiefs have a new starter in the middle of the defense against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

The past three seasons under Steve Spagnuolo, there’s seldom been a game without Anthony Hitchens starting at the MIKE linebacker position. He’s been a constant as the defensive play-caller for Kansas City, getting the guys lined up in the right spots pre-snap. This week against the Titans, they’ll be without that constant.

Hitchens suffered an elbow injury during the first half of the Week 6 game against the Washington Football Team. He was spotted with his arm in a sling this week and ruled out of the game on Friday after missing the entire week of practice. There was some question about the players who would get the opportunity to call the defense in his absence. Would they go to second-year LB Willie Gay Jr. or veteran Ben Niemann in his absence? Well, it turns out they’re going with neither.

Rookie LB Nick Bolton, who leads the team in tackles with 40 (also the most among NFL rookies), will get the start in place of Hitchens. When he was selected this year in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft, Chiefs GM Brett Veach mentioned Bolton as a player who could backup Hitchens at the MIKE linebacker spot. He has mostly played the SAM and WILL linebacker spots so far this season, but he could be a natural fit in the middle of the defense.

This game could serve as a peek into the future when Kansas City will presumably move on from Hitchens. If Bolton shows progress in the new role, he might not give it up when Hitchens returns from injury. The Chiefs’ performance at the linebacker position has been severely lacking this season and any progress would be a welcomed change at this juncture of the season.

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