Former Chiefs center Austin Blythe lands with Seahawks

The Kansas City Chiefs have lost a bit of experienced depth in the 2022 offseason with the loss of Austin Blythe in free agency. The experienced and versatile lineman will be heading to the Seattle Seahawks, per ESPN reporter Adam Schefter.

The Chiefs added Blythe last year at this same time as a potential replacement for then-starting center Austin Reiter as they sought to reinvent the offensive front following a disastrous performance in the Super Bowl.

Blythe wasn’t set to be a major concern for the Chiefs this offseason given how well they’ve cemented the line for the long term. Creed Humphrey is the starting center and should be a Pro Bowl-caliber performer for years to come. He’s playing in between two other high-ceiling players who are also locked in long-term in Joe Thuney and Trey Smith,.

The Kansas City Chiefs watched some experienced depth from the offensive line leave in free agency on Wednesday with Austin Blythe’s exit.

That said, the loss of Blythe does point to a need for some backup help that can serve as versatile pieces. The Chiefs are also likely going to watch Andrew Wyie leave in free agency after serving as a super sub for the last few years, and Mike Remmers is also scheduled to hit free agency. Kyle Long never played a single game after unretiring, but he’s also an unrestricted free agent. In short, nearly the entire second-unit is unsigned.

As for Seattle, they have to like the ability of Blythe to serve as a servicable starter at both guard and center as he’s done in years past, and they should already be familiar with his work as he played for the L.A. Rams for years in the same division.