Cal Sports Report

Ex-Cal Star Mitchell Schwartz Released by Chiefs

Offensive tackle had back surgery recently and is now a free agent
Jake Curtis|
Ex-Cal Star Mitchell Schwartz Released by Chiefs
Ex-Cal Star Mitchell Schwartz Released by Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday released both of their starting offensive tackles -- former Cal standout Mitchell Schwartz and former No. 1 overall draft pick Eric Fisher.

This comes as a surprise to many. Schwartz, a first-team All-Pro selection in 2018, missed most of the 2020 season with a back injury and had back surgery last month.  Schwartz, who will turn 32 years old in June, said following the surgery that he expected a full recovery and intends to play in 2021. Despite his age and the fact that he has played nine NFL seasons, Schwartz should be an attractive free agent, assuming he is physically recovered from his back ailments.

A Feb. 24 Tweet by Mitchell Schwartz following back surgery

The Chiefs needed to clear $20 million from their salary cap, which presumably was the reason for cutting Schwartz and Fisher.  Fisher and Schwartz have been the starting tackles for Kansas City for a number of years, but neither played in the Super Bowl because of injuries.  Their absence and the resulting Tampa Bay pass rush on Patrick Mahomes was cited as one of the reasons the Buccaneer won the game.

"I have a tremendous amount of respect for both Eric and Mitchell," Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said in a statement. "With Eric, obviously he was the very first player that we drafted when we got to Kansas City, and we were able to watch him grow into a solid tackle for us for many years. With Mitchell, his durability and toughness is remarkable and he certainly left his mark on our team. These decisions are never easy, especially with guys like these, but both of these players will forever be a part of our history."

"I'd like to thank Eric and Mitch for all of their contributions over the years," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said in a statement. "Every day both of these men came to work with the right attitude, ready to grind, both on the field and in the classroom. These guys are both dirty tough, but beyond that, they're good people and I enjoyed coaching them. I wish them the best as they continue their careers."

Schwartz, a second-round pick by the Browns in 2012, played 7,894 consecutive offensive snaps to begin his career before missing a handful of plays in 2019. He started 134 consecutive NFL games before leaving a Week 6 game of the 2020 season because of the back problem.

Before missing a start this past year, Schwartz had started every game in high school  and every game at Cal. After redshirting his freshman season at Berkeley, Schwartz started all 51 games Cal played from 2008 through 2011.

Schwartz signed a one-year extension with the Chiefs before the 2019 season that extended his deal through the 2021 season. The extension reportedly was worth $11.255 million. At that time, Schwartz had two years left on the five-year, $33 million contract he signed in 2016.

Cover photo of Mitchell Schwartz by Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports

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Jake Curtis
JAKE CURTIS

Jake Curtis worked in the San Francisco Chronicle sports department for 27 years, covering virtually every sport, including numerous Final Fours, several college football national championship games, an NBA Finals, world championship boxing matches and a World Cup. He was a Cal beat writer for many of those years, and won awards for his feature stories.

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