Eric Fisher returns to practice for Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs announced that left tackle Eric Fisher has returned to practice for the team after weeks of being out with a groin injury.

Throughout the last several weeks, the Kansas City Chiefs have learned one very important lesson: left tackle Eric Fisher is much more important than anyone quite realized before.

The Chiefs have been without their blindside protector since Fisher suffered a groin injury since he was forced to leave practice before the team’s game in Week 2 against the Oakland Raiders. The Chiefs then learned that Fisher would be out several weeks after needing core muscle surgery, and they inserted Cam Erving into the starting lineup in response. The results have not been all that great.

To Erving’s credit, it’s hard for any team to lose their starting bookend and watch his replacement perform adequately. Injuries hurt for a reason and good tackle play is hard to find. The Chiefs have been fortunate to have such two ironmen on the outside of the offensive front for years in Fisher and All-Pro Mitchell Schwartz. It wasn’t until this year the Chiefs knew how good they had it with Fisher on the left.

Fisher is now set to return to practice this week, although that doesn’t necessarily mean anything in terms of his readiness for Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans. Such an injury can easily be re-aggravated and the Chiefs are going to want to play things safe with Fisher so he’s healthy when it matters most—the postseason.

If Fisher can return it will help to cement a front line that has been problematic at times on the left without both starter Andrew Wylie at left guard and Fisher at tackle. The team also lost Laurent Duvernay-Tardif to injury, leaving center Austin Reiter, a newcomer this year, and Schwartz as the lone reliable starters.

Fisher has played in all 16 games for the Chiefs in each of the last five seasons, making these games his first missed contests since his rookie season in 2013.