Former Alabama star Slade Bolden working out for Kansas City Chiefs ahead of NFL playoffs

Slade Bolden could be getting his best NFL chance yet.

After having a cup of coffee with the Baltimore Ravens in training camp, the former Alabama star is working out for the Kansas City Chiefs ahead of the start of the playoffs, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

“Former Alabama WR/PR Slade Bolden is working out for the #Chiefs today, per source,” tweeted Pelissero. “Bolden, who spent camp with the #Ravens, had sports hernia surgery in September but is now fully healthy.”

Moreover, Bolden had the best season of his college career in 2021, finishing with 42 catches for 408 yards and a touchdown. He saw an increased role in the College Football Playoff Championship against Georgia after Jameson Williams went down with injury, finishing with 44 yards on a team-high seven catches.

A three-star prospect in the 2018 class, Bolden ranked as the No. 94 receiver and No. 502 overall player according to On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average. He chose to attend Alabama over offers form LSU, Tennessee and TCU among others.

While Slade Bolden had a successful career at Alabama, his next chapter in the NFL could finally be beginning.

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As good of a wide receiver as he is, Slade Bolden didn’t have the speed or athleticism to make the plays as some of the other receiver prospects from his draft class — at least that’s what the groupthink was earlier this year. NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein noted this in his analysis of the Alabama product, and it’s likely the reason Bolden went undrafted in the first place.

“Slot target who will catch and gain what is available but is unlikely to do much beyond that,” Zierlein wrote. “Bolden has adequate quickness for the Alabama scheme but isn’t an explosive separator. He has the hands and toughness to work in the middle of the field but will see diminishing catch windows the further he gets from the line of scrimmage. 

“He doesn’t have the speed or catch radius to help inaccurate passers and he doesn’t appear to have enough talent to shine outside of the Alabama juggernaut.”

On3’s Chandler Vessels contributed to this article.