Andy Reid: Mitchell Schwartz might not be ready by Chiefs postseason
By Matt Conner
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid admitted he’s not sure if Mitch Schwartz will be back by the postseason.
The Kansas City Chiefs are in the driver’s seat to earn the only first-round bye available to teams in the AFC. That’s a good thing as the roster needs all the time it can get if they want to see right tackle Mitchell Schwartz back in the lineup.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke to reporters on Monday and took questions about Schwartz’s health. Reid noted that the team is uncertain as to when exactly Schwartz will be able to return from time missed due to a back injury that has plagued him for several weeks.
Reid says Mitchell Scwartz is feeling better, but he's not back yet. Says he's not sure of Schwartz will be back to the playoffs.
— Robert 'B̶l̶u̶e̶ ̶C̶h̶e̶c̶k̶m̶a̶r̶k̶' Rimpson (@Rimpsanity) December 21, 2020
"We're taking it day by day."
Reid on Mitchell Schwartz: He's actually feeling a little bit better. Not all the way back, but he's feeling a little bit better.
— Sam McDowell (@SamMcDowell11) December 21, 2020
Schwartz has been missing for the Chiefs since Week 6 when he was forced to leave the team’s win over the Buffalo Bills due to back pain. From there, he missed the Chiefs’ win over the Denver Broncos in Week 7 for his first missed start of his NFL career. He hasn’t been back in the line-up ever since.
At this point, Schwartz has not only missed eight games for the Chiefs, but given Reid’s answer about whether or not he’ll even be back for the postseason, it makes it clear that we might not see the right tackle again in 2020. Schwartz would need to be back in game shape even if he’s no longer plagued by the back injury, and if there’s no timeline as of yet, then it’s possible that Schwartz will never be available.
Still, if the Chiefs can earn a first-round bye as well as maintain their Super Bowl momentum throughout the postseason, the Chiefs would certainly welcome back their All-Pro tackle with open arms no matter when he is ready. The Super Bowl is still well over a month away, so Schwartz hopefully has time on his side.