Eric Fisher should remain at left tackle for years to come

The Kansas City Chiefs are likely to enjoy the presence of left tackle Eric Fisher for years to come, barring any unforeseen injury.

Ever since the Kansas City Chiefs selected offensive lineman Eric Fisher as the first overall selection in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Central Michigan product has been a fixture at left tackle. Currently at six seasons and counting, Fisher has given the Chiefs an above average performer at an important spot when the majority of the entire draft class turned in a record number of busts.

Fisher is currently under contract through the same 2021 season as right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, who just received a one-year extension tacked onto the two years left on his five-year deal signed during the 2016 offseason. It’s interesting that the tandem will come off the books at the exact same time after six years together. For Fisher, it should be 9 years as a starter (at least projected at this point)—a rare run for a player with any franchise.

Fisher is one of the most expensive players on the Chiefs roster, but that’s to be expected given his importance as the team’s left bookend. During the same offseason that Schwartz signed with K.C., then-general manager John Dorsey rewarded Fisher with an extension of his own to the tune of four years and $48 million ($40M of which was guaranteed).

While Fisher will never be cheap for K.C., it certainly helps that the team has already swallowed the worst part of this deal. Fisher’s cap hit nearly hit $14M last season and drops a bit each year from here on out. In 2019, Fisher will account for $13.65M of the cap, and that total falls to $12M and $11.5M over the next two years. Given the lack of competition on the roster, Fisher’s improvement each season, and the ever-lightening finances, there’s little doubt that Fisher will remain on the books for the duration of his deal.

It’s also possible that the Chiefs allow Fisher to continue as the left tackle even beyond the 2021 season. He will only be 30-years-old when his contract is up (the very age Schwartz is now), and he just made his first Pro Bowl this last year. While three years is an eternity in the NFL, Fisher might just be able to forge ahead another season or three and entrench himself as a starter for a decade-plus at left tackle.

Fisher is already in rare company as a longtime starter at tackle for the Chiefs, having just eclipsed Branden Albert’s total starts (the man who came before him). If he’s able to finish out his current deal, only names like Jim Tyrer, John Alt, Dave Hill and Matt Herkenhoff will be able to lay claim to more bookend starts. That’s an exciting proposition that’s well within view, but there’s also still a considerable distance to go.

The most important element to keep in mind is that Fisher is mid-stride on a career that could cement him as a franchise anchor at left tackle.