What’s going to happen with Mitchell Schwartz this offseason?

Unless he decides to move on from the sport on his own terms, a la Andrew Luck, at some point, every NFL player faces the music and must admit that his body simply will not allow him to play the game of football any longer. Whether teams like other players more or his own health forces him to call it quits, the league is a punishing one for players with a lot of wear and tear on the body.

But what are we to make of Mitchell Schwartz this offseason?

Within some parameters, Schwartz fits the bill for the scenario described above. The former right tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs has 132 starts in nine NFL seasons on his resume (and his frame), and he will be 32-years-old before training camp begins for what would be his 10th year. He’s also coming off of a back injury that kept him out of every game of the regular season and postseason after Week 6. That hardly feels like a problem that goes away by itself.

At the same time, Schwartz doesn’t seem or sound like a guy ready to fade so quickly. Let’s not forget we’re referencing the NFL ironman until this past season—a perennial All-Pro performer who has anchored the line of a Super Bowl contender (and winner) for multiple seasons now. He is perhaps the best free agent signing in Chiefs history and he just endured his first major injury.

Mitchell Schwartz’s future is tough to figure out.

Even more confusing is the fact that Schwartz hasn’t stated anything about retiring this offseason at all even as he’s remained very accessible via social media. He’s had surgery and is actively working out and rehabilitating his injury even as he’s also leaned into making a long-term home in Kansas City.

Is this all for more cooking shows? It doesn’t seem likely. Yet if he’s searching for other teams, like his former teammate Eric Fisher, he also doesn’t seem like he’s yearning for a new opportunity either. Perhaps health is in the way now and there are medical questions to be concerned about first and foremost. Maybe these issues will take care of themselves later this summer.

But even on the Chiefs end, things aren’t entirely clear. The team wiped the slate clean along the offensive line and cut both Fisher and Schwartz outright in the same day. From there, they’ve added Kyle Long, then re-signed Mike Remmers, then welcomed back Lucas Niang after he opted out in 2020. Suddenly the team has multiple legitimate options on the right side of a completely remade line.

Yet for all their options, no one would mistake any of them for Schwartz. That’s not a knock on the talent already in the locker room; rather, it’s the reality of having employed one of the best performers at right tackle in the game today for the last half decade. If Schwartz can be back and healthy in 2021, even well into the season, he’s already better than anyone they could currently utilize in the starting lineup. Schwartz was that good before, and if he still is, then the Chiefs would be silly to turn him away.

At the same time, the offensive line room is already obnoxiously crowded. Beyond those three options on the right side, the team has even more candidates at right guard between Long, Andrew Wylie, Trey Smith, and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. Then there’s Austin Blythe and Creed Humphrey at center, Nick Allegretti and Joe Thuney at left guard, and Orlando Brown and Martinas Rankin at left tackle. Let’s not forget Yasir Durant, Prince Tega Wanogho, or Darryl Williams.

In some ways, it feels silly to think of adding Schwartz back into the mix. When looking through another lens, it feels ridiculous to write it off. And at this point, it all feels so cryptic that it’s hard to tell what will happen. 
Maybe some decisions have yet to be made, which is why we feel the present tension. Fans might not the only ones wondering how things will play out. Either way, it will be interesting to follow as it would be very nice to see Schwartz’s career continue on his terms and maybe there’s a way that still happens in Kansas City.