![]() ![]() With little salary-cap space available, though, the Chiefs are likely to rely heavily on the draft to fill in the holes up front, and that means a young and inexperienced offensive line will be protecting their half-billion-dollar quarterback. They also feel good about Andrew Wylie and Nick Allegretti, though neither played well in the Super Bowl. Veach said recently he expects Duvernay-Tardif and Niang to return next season, giving the Chiefs a jumpstart on their rebuild. Reiter and backup center Daniel Kilgore are also free agents, creating even more holes to fill up front. Now, the Chiefs intend to rebuild their offensive line without Fisher and Schwartz factoring in. The result: Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was pressured on 29 of 56 drop-backs, the most of any player in the Super Bowl era, and Kansas City’s dynamic offense failed to score a touchdown in a 31-9 loss to Tampa Bay. Fill-in guard Kelechi Osemele tore tendons in both of his knees and was lost for the season, and the injuries to Fisher and Schwartz left center Austin Reiter as the only player at his natural position by the Super Bowl. They lost starting offensive guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and third-round pick Lucas Niang to COVID-19 opt-outs before the season. The Chiefs were decimated up front by the time they beat the Bills in the AFC championship game. I wish them the best as they continue their careers.” These guys are both dirty tough, but beyond that, they’re good people and I enjoyed coaching them. “Every day both of these men came to work with the right attitude, ready to grind, both on the field and in the classroom. “I’d like to thank Eric and Mitch for all of their contributions over the years,” Reid said. He was voted an All-Pro in 2018 and proved to be among the most durable right tackles in the game, starting 134 consecutive games dating to his days with the Cleveland Browns before his back injury occurred in Week 6 against Buffalo. The Chiefs signed the 31-year-old Schwartz in 2016 to bookend with Fisher on a revamped offensive line. His rookie season was a bit shaky, but Fisher developed into one of the league’s best left tackles, earning nods to the Pro Bowl in 2018 and last season. The Chiefs selected the 30-year-old Fisher first overall in the 2013 draft, shortly after coach Andy Reid was hired and Veach arrived on then-GM John Dorsey’s staff. ![]() These decisions are never easy, especially with guys like these, but both of these players will forever be a part of our history.” ![]() ![]() With Mitchell, his durability and toughness is remarkable and he certainly left his mark on our team. ”With Eric, obviously he was the very first player we drafted when we got to Kansas City, and we were able to watch him grow into a solid tackle for us for many years. However before 2020, Schwartz had never missed a game in his eight previous seasons.Ĭlick here to subscribe to the Under Center Podcast for free.“I have a tremendous amount of respect for both Eric and Mitchell,” Veach said in a statement. He missed 10 games with a back injury last season, and underwent surgery in late February. Also like Fisher, Schwartz is coming off an injury. He signed with the Chiefs in 2016 and since then was named to one All-Pro First Team and three All-Pro Second Teams. Like Fisher, Schwartz is one of the best right tackles in the game, when healthy. In addition, the Chiefs released right tackle Mitchell Schwartz. That could dampen the interest for an otherwise outstanding player. But Fisher suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the AFC Championship Game, not even two months ago. Normally a guy like Fisher wouldn’t hit the free agent market at this point in his career, and if he did, he would fetch a hefty contract - something probably out of the Bears’ price range. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.Įric Fisher has been a dominant left tackle for the Chiefs pretty much ever since Kansas City drafted him No. Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. ![]()
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