The K.C. Chiefs continued their purge of veteran tackles on Thursday with the announcement that long-time right tackle Mitchell Schwartz had been released, the same day the team also decided to part ways with left tackle Eric Fisher.
The release of Schwartz is both unexpected and unsurprising given that he’s a veteran tackle over the age of 30 dealing with ongoing back issues, an injury that kept him out for two thirds of the regular season and the entirety of the postseason. However, Schwartz sounded like a man ready to return to the field in 2021 and decided to undergo surgery in order to be ready for the Chiefs for next season.
Just as the move with Fisher, the release of Schwartz helps gets the Chiefs under the salary cap threshold for the new league year.
Can confirm that the Chiefs are releasing Eric Fisher & Mitchell Schwartz, per a source.
— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) March 11, 2021
With these moves, the Chiefs have cleared almost $18 million in salary cap space with a $6.86 million cap hit, according to Over The Cap.
It’s also true, just as with Fisher, that the Chiefs aren’t necessarily saying goodbye to Schwartz for the long-term. Schwartz faces rehabilitation and recovery from his back injury, just as Fisher for his Achilles injury, but both players have six months or so to show the Chiefs that they are good to go for next season. In the meantime, the team was already going to begin to usher in a youth movement at those positions, so it’s entirely possible one or both veterans are back in their starting positions with new contracts by the start of the regular season.
As for Schwartz, he’s been an ironman performer for the Chiefs up front ever since John Dorsey signed him to a free agent deal away from the Cleveland Browns before the 2016 season. He’s started 70 games for the Chiefs on the right side of the line and helped them win their first Super Bowl in 50 years with annual All-Pro level performances to ensure that Mahomes was safe from his side.