Mitchell Schwartz leaves Chiefs-Bills game with back injury

Mitchell Schwartz was declared out for the Chiefs with a back injury.

UPDATED: The Kansas City Chiefs will be without right tackle Mitchell Schwartz for the rest of their game against the Buffalo Bills on Monday night due to a back injury that first forced him to the locker room early in the first quarter.

Shortly after he left, the Chiefs announced that he was questionable to return to the game. Then he was downgraded to out.

Schwartz had struggled with a back injury all week and missed practice for most of the week leading up to the Bills game in Week 6 before fully participating in the team’s final session before traveling to Buffalo. Details are unknown at this time, but he was designated as questionable coming into the game and might have found it too painful to continue.

Schwartz has been the Chiefs best lineman for several years as a pillar at right tackle. He’s been honored as a first- or second-team All-Pro by the Associated Press for the last four years, and the team rewarded him with a short extension in 2019 for his efforts.

Without Schwartz, Mike Remmers was forced to move over to right tackle to take over for Schwartz’s back injury, but he was already in the lineup as the starting left guard, filling in for Kelechi Osemele, who was placed on injured reserve with torn knee tendons earlier this week. The Chiefs were also already introducing a new face in Daniel Kilgore, who started at center for Austin Reiter.

In Remmers’ place at left guard, Nick Allegretti came into the lineup.