The pressure of the 2021 salary cap is hitting the Kansas City Chiefs.
The defending AFC champs announced on Thursday that they were releasing two key pieces from their offensive line, Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz. Fisher, the left tackle for the Chiefs, was a former No. 1 overall draft pick in 2013. Despite a slow start to his career, he eventually showed the promise Kansas City had expected, making the Pro Bowl in 2018 as well as this past season. Fisher did not play in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers due to an Achilles tear he suffered in the AFC Championship game against the Buffalo Bills.
Schwartz, the team’s right tackle, was acquired by the Chiefs in 2016 after four seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Schwartz was the staple of consistency at his position, having a streak of 7,894 consecutive snaps until midway through the 2019 season. Schwartz also made the All-Pro team as a Chief from 2017-2019. However, he too did not suit up for the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, having missed much of this past season due to a back injury he suffered in Week 6 against the Bills.
These moves come as a means for the Chiefs to clear space in their salary cap. The Chiefs were $20 million over the cap prior to releasing Fisher and Schwartz, but these moves will save more than $18 million. However, it leaves Kansas City with major holes in their offensive line, which was already exposed during a Super Bowl in which Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes was under constant pressure from the Bucs defensive line. It will be up to the Chiefs’ front office to figure out who will fill these key roles as they prepare to make another run at the Lombardi trophy in the fall.
