The Kansas City Chiefs offensive line has been a revolving assortment of backups, young and unproven prospects, and journeymen all season long. The lone consistent in the group was left tackle Eric Fisher, who Andy Reid confirmed tore his Achilles during the 4th quarter of the AFC Championship. Fisher will not be available to play in Super Bowl LV.
Since being selected 1st overall in the 2013 NFL Draft, Eric Fisher has been a mainstay for the Kansas City Chiefs offense. While the Central Michigan product was heavily scrutinized the first half of his career, he has since proved to be a capable starter for one of the most prolific offenses in NFL history.
It has been a while since we have seen a truly bad day from Fisher, and that says a lot about his development as a player. Beyond his performance on the field, Fisher has grown into a locker room favorite and gifted us with one of the all-time great touchdown celebrations:
Nothing like giving yourself an in-game victory shower pic.twitter.com/qn35hCPDT8
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 12, 2020
Fisher’s injury leaves questions about the immediate and long-term future of the left tackle position in Kansas City, as Achilles injuries tend to require intensive rehab. The Chiefs would be fortunate if their franchise left tackle is fully healed and ready to go by the beginning of the 2021 NFL season.
The silver lining is that the Chiefs have time to work out the complications of their rearranged offensive line before the Super Bowl. While a major injury like this is difficult at any point in the season, it is especially difficult heading into the biggest game of the year. Head coach Andy Reid and offensive line coach Andy Heck have done a remarkable job getting the most out of their depth players thus far this season. The team has their work cut out for them though, especially headed into a matchup against the Buccanneers defense who got to Aaron Rodgers five times during the NFC Championship game.
Eric Fisher will be out for Super Bowl LV. How will the Chiefs adjust?
The Chiefs found themselves in similar waters heading into their Week 15 matchup with the New Orleans Saints, as Fisher’s status was in question most of the week with back pain. However, he was able to make the start and play the full game for Kansas City. The Chiefs coaching staff will likely follow a similar plan that they had early in that week before Eric Fisher was able to practice again.
The Chiefs have a handful of options for how they can handle Fisher’s absence. During the game, Mike Remmers, who has filled in admirably for All-Pro right tackle Mitchell Schwartz most of the season, moved to Fisher’s spot on the left side. Right guard Andrew Wylie moved out to tackle, and Stefen Wisniewski came into the game at right guard. This is the most likely configuration for the Super Bowl on February 7th.
There is an argument to be made that the Chiefs should try to keep Wylie at guard and let Martinas Rankin or even Yasir Durant get the start at tackle. This would keep the interior of the offensive line intact and be less shuffling overall. Rankin is listed as the team’s second-string left tackle, and Durant is the third-string right tackle. Thankfully, both played in the Week 17 matchup against the Chargers, so the team should have a good read on their ability. There also shouldn’t be any rust for the two reserve linemen if either number is called for the big game.
Regardless of the configuration of the offensive line, the Chiefs would be wise to decide on their five best big men early and get as many practice reps in for the group as possible. The offensive line has to work as a unit, and communication to understand assignments can be a legitimate difference-maker for a team.
Protecting Patrick Mahomes is always a top priority for the Chiefs franchise. Thankfully, the young gunslinger has shown the ability to escape the pocket, shake off sacks, and make plays even in the face of pressure. Mahomes is always the ultimate advantage, but Andy Reid and the rest of Chiefs Kingdom would prefer that their star quarterback does not have to use his superpowers to avoid too much pressure and will have time to operate the prolific Chiefs offense.