The Kansas City Chiefs appear to be overhauling the offensive line after releasing two starting stalwarts.
Now that the hot take machine has fired off the last of its very terrible Patrick Mahomes takes in the wake of Super Bowl 55, the Kansas City Chiefs seem to be addressing the thing really went wrong.
After getting roundhoused in the Super Bowl by a blistering Tampa Bay defense, the Chiefs appear to be overhauling its offensive line. With free agency set to open next week, Kansas City is releasing two if its starting offensive lineman: Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz.
Fisher broke the news himself on Instagram, while Ian Rapoport from NFL Network noted that Schwartz will also hit the open market.
#Chiefs LT Eric Fisher announced on Instagram that he’s been released. The team is also releasing OT Mitchell Schwartz, source said. Both tackles out in KC. pic.twitter.com/VaH5MbwVhu
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 11, 2021
Neither Schwartz or Fisher played in the Super Bowl, which makes their release after what was such a poor performance by their replacements even more puzzling.
Fisher is a former No. 1 overall pick who was initially slow out of the gate, but settled into what ended up being a pretty decent offensive line in front of Patrick Mahomes.
But if there’s one cut that truly goes to the bone, it’s the release of Schwartz. A fan favorite among Chiefs fans, Schwartz has been a mainstay on the Kansas City offensive line. Schwartz recently posted about recovering from offseason surgery and seemed hopeful about his future with the Chiefs.
Can Kansas City Chiefs re-sign Eric Fisher or Mitchell Schwartz?
There’s still a possibility that either Fisher or Schwartz return to Kansas City on cheaper deals. The Chiefs went full A Beautiful Mind last offseason by essentially spending milk money to extend the core pieces of its Super Bowl winning roster. That was chased by giving Patrick Mahomes half a billion dollars to remain in Kansas City for the next decade, but at some point the bill was going to come due.
Kansas City avoided painful cuts last season but the loss of Fisher and Schwartz is the first in what will be a decade of painful decisions the Chiefs must make to stay under the salary cap.
With that said, the Chiefs releasing both offensive lineman makes sense once the initial shock wears off.
The Chiefs releases of Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz are not all that surprising. Schwartz's future has been unsure since injuring his back, while Fisher's Achilles tear puts 2021 in serious jeopardy.
— Matt Verderame (@MattVerderame) March 11, 2021
KC loves Lucas Niang, which it had a second-round grade on last year.
If neither Fisher or Schwartz return, the Chiefs could look to use whatever pennies they have to try and bring in Kyle Long who recently came out of retirement to make one more run at winning a Super Bowl. If there’s one place in the NFL where a shot at the Super Bowl seems almost certain, it’s in Kansas City.