KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chiefs have released starting tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz.
The moves come as both players are recovering from season-ending injuries from the past season. The Chiefs were also projected to be roughly $20 million over the NFL salary cap, as announced at $182.5 million for 2021.
Releasing Fisher and Schwartz, both of whom were in the final year of their respective contracts, clears up to $18 million in cap space. Fisher makes up $11.9 million of that total, while Schwartz accounts for a little more than $6 million. The Chiefs still need to shed a little more than $4 million off the cap, according to both Over The Cap and Spotrac.
Fisher, 30, suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in the AFC Conference Championship Game and did not play in Super Bowl LV. The Chiefs originally selected Fisher as the No. 1 overall pick of the 2013 NFL Draft.
Fisher spent his rookie season at right tackle, and then became a mainstay at left tackle in 2014. He finishes his career in Kansas City appearing in 117 games with 113 starts and earned two Pro Bowl appearances. The Chiefs were also 26-1 in games Fisher started over the past two seasons.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for both Eric and Mitchell,” general manager Brett Veach said in a statement. “With Eric, obviously he was the very first player that 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.”
The Chiefs signed Schwartz, who is widely regarded as one of the NFL’s top right tackles, to a five-year deal during the 2016 free-agency period after he spent four seasons with the Cleveland Browns (2012-15).
Schwartz, who turns 32 on June 9, saw his impressive streak of 134 consecutive career starts come to an end after he suffered a back injury in Week 6 of the 2020 NFL season. He never returned to the starting lineup and missed the final 10 regular-season games and all of the postseason.
Through nine seasons split between the Chiefs and Browns, Schwartz has appeared in 134 games, all starts, and solidified his place among the NFL’s elite right tackles by earning a first-team All-Pro selection in 2018 and three second-team All-Pro honors (2016-17, 2019).
“With Mitchell, his durability and toughness is remarkable and he certainly left his mark on our team,” Veach said. “These decisions are never easy, especially with guys like these, but both of these players will forever be a part of our history.”
Chiefs coach Andy Reid echoed Veach’s comments.
“I’d like to thank Eric and Mitch for all of their contributions over the years,” Reid said in a statement. “Every day both of these men came to work with the right attitude, ready to grind, both on the field and in the classroom. These guys are both dirty tough, but beyond that, they’re good people and I enjoyed coaching them. I wish them the best as they continue their careers.”
With the release of Fisher and Schwartz, the Chiefs officially enter a transition period at two of the most important positions on their offensive line.
The Chiefs sorely missed Fisher and Schwartz during a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV, and the issues along on the front five, especially at the bookend positions, are now magnified with uncertainty.
Mike Remmers, a versatile veteran offensive lineman, filled in for Schwartz during the regular season and Fisher in the Super Bowl. But Remmers, who turns 32 on April 11, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent when the NFL’s new calendar year kicks off March 17.
The remaining options at tackle currently on the Chiefs’ roster include Martinas Rankin and Lucas Niang, who opted out of the 2020 season. Right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, who also opted of the past season, is scheduled to return in 2021, as well.
