Tag: mitchell schwartz

Panthers potential 2021 free agent targets: OT Eric Fisher

Panthers potential 2021 free agent targets: Examining former Chiefs left tackle Eric Fisher.

We have our first truly shocking cuts of the 2021 NFL offseason. Today, the Chiefs have released both left tackle Eric Fisher and right tackle Mitchell Schwartz. The moves save Kansas City over $18 million in salary cap space and will likely put Patrick Mahomes’ scrambling ability to the test. They still have a pretty long Super Bowl window, though.

Schwartz is expected to retire after missing 10 games last season and undergoing back surgery. However, Fisher should get a ton of interest from around the league. The Panthers have a rather large hole to fill at left tackle, so they should be one of the teams who gives him a call.

Pros

It’s not every day that a former No. 1 overall pick becomes available and for good reason. Fisher has been among the league’s top offensive tackles since he was drafted in 2013 and is still going strong. Pro Football Focus gave him a high 80.0 overall grade last year. Fisher missed half of the 2019 season due to injury but aside from that he’s only sat out three other games in his career.

Cons

Fisher just turned 30 years old and he has already appeared in 117 regular season games plus several deep playoff runs. While he’s been relatively durable since entering the NFL, that’s still a lot of mileage. Fisher probably has several good years left, but it’s not unreasonable to assume that his game will begin to decline over the next couple of seasons.

Conclusion

While it’s tough to say what he can earn on the open market, Fisher’s cap number last year was over $15 million, which is a good place to begin negotiating. That’s tough to swing for a team that just invested $13.75 million in their right tackle and still needs to find a way to pay Curtis Samuel. Fisher would be a tremendous get, though. After Trent Williams he’s the best OL on the market this year.

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Chiefs RT Mitchell Schwartz shares his ‘end of season thoughts’

Schwartz updated fans with his thoughts on the 2020 season, his back injury and the future.

Kansas City Chiefs right tackle Mitchell Schwartz had a disappointing 2020 NFL season. He has been an Iron man throughout his nine-year NFL career, playing 7,894 snaps before missing his first snap back in 2019. This season ended much differently, though, with Schwartz finishing the year on injured reserve. He missed his first start in his NFL career and most of 11 regular-season games and the entire postseason due to a mysterious back injury.

On Tuesday, Schwartz posted an update on his personal Instagram and Twitter feed. It was the first that fans had heard from him about his injury and struggle this season. He dubbed the update his “end of season thoughts.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLFWpy6l247/?igshid=1voyntlvywa7s

“Year 9 in the books. Not the ending any of us wanted as we fell just short of the ultimate goal. Thought I’d have a few more of these runs out of the tunnel this year. It was the first time in my football career that I’ve missed games (190 or so starts in a row over 13 years dating back to college, shoutout to those of you questioning my toughness/heart or saying “it’s just your back”), and what a strange experience that was. Not being out there every week, and especially a few days ago, flat out sucked. I’ve never talked/posted about my workouts or health in the media, and I know a lot of you are curious what’s been going on. I’ll share that at some point but I’m looking forward to getting healthy and getting my body right! Thanks for all the support and well wishes, wish I could’ve been out there, but proud of the season we had nonetheless!”

This message indicates that Schwartz wasn’t all that close to returning this year. He still seems to have a ways to go when it comes to getting healthy and there’s no telling how long that will take. The details surrounding his back injury remain vague, but as he says one day he’ll share that.

The future remains very much in the air for Schwartz, though. The All-Pro RT enters his sixth season in Kansas City and the final year of his contract in 2021. We’ll see if he’s able to get healthy and play.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides update on RT Mitchell Schwartz

Schwartz won’t be ready to return for the divisional round, but the team hasn’t given up hope.

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The Kansas City Chiefs aren’t expecting starting RT Mitchell Schwartz back from injured reserve this week.

Schwartz has been dealing with a back injury since Week 7. Initially, there was some optimism he’d be able to return, but with each passing week, it became less likely. He was placed on injured reserve ahead of Week 11 and things have been quiet in regards to his status ever since.

With elimination playoff games coming up, Chiefs HC Andy Reid confirmed that Schwartz won’t return to play in the divisional round.

“Backs are fickle, so he’s not going to be back this week,” Reid said on Wednesday. “And then we’re literally taking that day by day. I mean, these things are crazy. There’s nobody that wants to play more than this guy. You know how he’s wired—you don’t play all the games he played in a row and not enjoy the game. But he physically can’t do that right now and we’ll just see how it goes down the road. I don’t think anybody’s lost hope in that, just sometimes time is an important thing here.”

Reid says Schwartz needs more time but doesn’t exactly know how much time he needs. He hasn’t ruled out a return and said they’re taking things day by day, but it’s hard to imagine that Schwartz would be any closer come the AFC Championship Game if the Chiefs do advance.

Back injuries do tend to be tricky injuries for an offensive lineman and some can potentially be career-ending, but there still isn’t much information out there as to what type of injury he’s dealing with. The way the injury has been handled so far it’s hard not to draw comparisons to Eric Berry’s perpetual day-to-day status back in 2018.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides update on RT Mitchell Schwartz

Schwartz has been on injured reserve since Week 11.

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Kansas City Chiefs starting RT Mitchell Schwartz has been on injured reserve since Week 11 and dealing with a back injury since Week 7. After a Week 15 game that saw QB Patrick Mahomes battered for three sacks and 11 hits or knockdowns, fans want to know if Schwartz is any closer to making his return.

When Chiefs HC Andy Reid spoke to the media on Monday, he’d have you believe that Schwartz is doing better.

“Yeah, he’s actually feeling a little bit better,” Reid said.  “Not all the way back, but he is feeling a little bit better and we’ll just see I mean, we will take it day by day. He’s a great communicator so we know he wants to play but just want to make sure you know that he’s ok and I kind of leave that up to the docs and Rick (Burkholder) on that and then obviously Mitch.”

What Reid doesn’t know is if Schwartz will be healthy enough to return from injured reserve and play come the postseason.

“I don’t know that,” Reid said. “We’re just kind of taking it day by day, week by week literally, and so we’re just seeing how he does here. Hopefully, it calms down by then or whenever and he can get himself back out there. I mean, that’s what we’d like, but we’ll see how that all goes.”

Right now, it sounds like the team is remaining optimistic that Schwartz could eventually return from this mysterious back injury that has caused problems for the better part of the season. However, Reid doesn’t seem to have an expectation that Schwartz will return at any point during the regular season or the postseason.

At this point, it’d probably be safe for fans to expect that they won’t be seeing Schwartz until next season, if at all. Remember, the salary cap reduction in 2021 could make Schwartz a cap casualty. The absolute worst-case scenario would be that we’ve seen Schwartz play his last snap in a Chiefs uniform.

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Chiefs RT Mitchell Schwartz is eligible to return from IR, but will he?

Schwartz is eligible to return, but is he ready to return? We’ll find out soon.

The Kansas City Chiefs have been without starting RT Mitchell Schwartz for nearly half of the 2020 NFL season.

Schwartz first began missing time in Week 7 with a back injury after playing just eight snaps against the Buffalo Bills the week prior. He has been on injured reserve with that same back injury since Week 11. With another back injury popping up, this time for replacement RT Mike Remmers in Week 14, everyone wants to know if Schwartz is ready and able to return.

Schwartz has spent over three weeks on the injured reserve list, so he is officially eligible to return. Is he ready to return, though? Chiefs HC Andy Reid emphasized that the team wouldn’t be rushing him back at the beginning of December:

“Yeah, we’ll just see. Listen, he’s a smart kid and so he’s been around a long time and he knows how he’s feeling. And he’s a good communicator, so he keeps that open with the trainers and doctors, so I think that’s the most important thing right now. Then, when he’s right, then we’ll get him back out there. But until then—we do that with every player—we’re not going to rush him back if he can’t go, and that’s why we expect the next guy to step in and play, and (Mike) Remmers is doing a nice job for us. He’s really stepped up and played well. But that’s kind of how we go. We have a lot of trust in Mitch and we know he’s a tough guy, and he’s a good communicator on top of that.”

Schwartz has been extraordinarily consistent up to this point in his career, starting 134 consecutive games dating back to 2012. We should trust that as soon as he’s ready to get back out there, he will. If he’s close we could even see the Chiefs designate him to return from injured reserve, but that wouldn’t necessarily mean he’d be activated this week. It would just open up his three-week practice window, allowing the team to see him in practice before making a decision on his return. Rest assured, this will be an easing back process because the team knows just how valuable Schwartz is when he’s at his best.

In the meantime, the Chiefs still need to see what the prognosis is with Remmers for Week 15’s game against the New Orleans Saints. He’s been solid in relief and should play if his injury permits. If Remmers is unable to practice and play, Kansas City will turn to undrafted rookie Yasir Durant, who played 24 snaps in place of Remmers in Week 14.

Coach Reid gave a vote of confidence in Durant during his Monday press conference. Things would be dire if Durant had to start and not because he’s an inexperienced player. If he were to play, it would leave virtually no options to come off the bench and play the tackle position. The team would likely need to move Andrew Wylie to tackle in the event of an injury, shaking up the entire composition of the offensive line.

We’ll know soon enough what the Chiefs’ plans at the tackle position are for the upcoming week. Look for an update on Wednesday, when the team returns to practice ahead of their showdown with the Saints.

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Chiefs won’t rush RT Mitchell Schwartz back from injured reserve

Andy Reid commented on the Chiefs’ starting right tackle and the plan for his eventual return.

The Kansas City Chiefs have been without their starting right tackle, Mitchell Schwartz, since Week 7 of the 2020 NFL season. The All-Pro right tackle has missed the first games of his career this year as he deals with a nagging back injury — an injury that ultimately caused him to be placed on injured reserve.

Schwartz was officially placed on injured reserve ahead of Week 11, making him eligible to return to action in Week 14. When asked about the plan for Schwartz moving forward, Reid wouldn’t commit to the tackle making a return prior to the postseason. He says the team and Schwartz will take their time in determining the best course of action moving forward.

“Yeah, we’ll just see. Listen, he’s a smart kid and so he’s been around a long time and he knows how he’s feeling,” Reid said. “And he’s a good communicator, so he keeps that open with the trainers and doctors, so I think that’s the most important thing right now. Then, when he’s right, then we’ll get him back out there. But until then—we do that with every player—we’re not going to rush him back if he can’t go, and that’s why we expect the next guy to step in and play, and (Mike) Remmers is doing a nice job for us. He’s really stepped up and played well. But that’s kind of how we go. We have a lot of trust in Mitch and we know he’s a tough guy, and he’s a good communicator on top of that.”

It doesn’t sound like Reid is expecting Schwartz to be available any time soon. The good news is that the replacement for Schwartz, veteran OL Mike Remmers, has played admirably at right tackle. He hasn’t allowed a single sack of Patrick Mahomes all year. He’s also allowed just 11 pressures at right tackle while filling in for Schwartz, ranking No. 20 in the NFL in pressures allowed according to Pro Football Focus.

The play of Remmers has given the Chiefs the benefit of getting Schwartz 100% healthy in his return. They want him to get back to being his stalwart self when he finally gets back on the field. Until then, Remmers will be the guy for Kansas City.

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Chiefs make flurry of roster moves on Saturday ahead of Week 11

Another standout rookie returns from injured reserve and two players are elevated to the 53-man roster for the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Kansas City Chiefs have made a number of roster moves ahead of their Week 11 grudge match with the Las Vegas Raiders on “Sunday Night Football.”

First up, the Chiefs have ruled out WR Sammy Watkins, who was originally deemed questionable heading into the game. This will be his fifth missed game since suffering a hamstring injury back in Week 5.

Two players have been placed on injured reserve for Kansas City. Taco Charlton was expected to land on injured reserve with a fractured ankle suffered in Week 9. The Chiefs also placed starting RT Mitchell Schwartz on injured reserve. Schwartz has missed the past four games with a back injury and with his move to injured reserve, he’ll miss the next three games at the very least. This marks his first stint on injured reserve in his entire nine-year career.

As Chiefs HC Andy Reid anticipated, the team has activated CB L’Jarius Sneed from injured reserve. The rookie sensation suffered a clavicle injury in Week 3 that knocked him out for the past six games. His return couldn’t come at a better time as the defensive secondary struggled to slow the Raiders in Week 5.

In addition to Sneed’s return, the team also activated DE Alex Okafor from injured reserve. Okafor had been placed on injured reserve three weeks ago with a hamstring injury.

On top of those activations, the team also activated WR Mecole Hardman from the reserve/COVID-19 list. Hardman hasn’t practiced all week, but he’ll be cleared to play in Week 11.

The team also elevated 2 practice squad players to the 53-man roster. With Watkins ruled out and Martinas Rankin still on the reserve/COVID-19 list, the team used the COVID-19 replacement designation to bring up OL Bryan Witzmann and the standard elevation designation to bring up WR Gehrig Dieter. This marks the second week that both players will have been elevated to the 53-man roster.

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Chiefs LT Eric Fisher, RT Mitchell Schwartz to be activated from reserve/COVID-19 list

The starting tackles are back from the reserve/COVID-19 list but only one of them is tracking to play.

The Kansas City Chiefs will return both starting LT Eric Fisher and RT Mitchell Schwartz from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Thursday. Chiefs VP of Communications Ted Crews announced ahead of Thursday’s media availability that both players are back.

The two starting tackles were first placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Monday after being deemed high-risk close contacts to a positive test. Backup OT Martinas Rankin was also placed on the list, but he has not yet been activated. You can expect both of these moves to be made official later today when the NFL’s official transaction report is released.

While both players return to their active status on the 53-man roster, only one of the two players is tracking to play on “Sunday Night Football” against the Las Vegas Raiders. Fisher was back at practice on Thursday for the Chiefs, but Schwartz remains absent from practice with the same back injury that has caused him to miss nearly four full games this season. This injury is starting to become concerning as he’s now missed four full weeks including the bye week.

The good news, of course, is that Fisher should play in Week 11. That gives the Chiefs a much more comfortable situation as far as their tackle depth is concerned. The next thing to look for ahead of the matchup with the Raiders is the status of Mike Remmers, who was limited on Wednesday with a rib injury.

In addition to Fisher’s return to practice, BoPete Keyes was also back at practice after missing Wednesday with an illness.

The only new player absent from practice was RB Darrel Williams. He was absent with an illness according to Crews.

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Chiefs RT Mitchell Schwartz to miss first career start vs. Broncos

A remarkable streak comes to an end for the Kansas City Chiefs’ right tackle.

A remarkable streak for a Kansas City Chiefs player comes to an end this Sunday.

Mitchell Schwartz was officially ruled out of the Chiefs’ Week 7 game against the Broncos on Friday. Schwartz, drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft, has started 134 consecutive regular-season games at the right tackle position during his NFL career. If you include the playoffs, he’s started 141 straight games. His streak has spanned across two teams and nearly 8,000 snaps on offense. Schwartz hadn’t missed a single snap until an injury forced him off the field for a few plays a season ago.

Now, the stalwart right tackle will miss the first start of his career as he’s sidelined with a back injury. The 31-year-old Schwartz shared his thoughts about missing his first career start on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGvcaW_lmeZ/

“First time not traveling, and first game in my career I’ll miss. Going to be strange watching tomorrow but there will be no bigger Chiefs fan! Working hard to get back out there and excited to see the guys keep this thing rolling. Go Chiefs!!”

Schwartz has been a beacon of consistency along the offensive line since joining the Chiefs as a free agent back in 2016, protecting the right side for both Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes. His presence will certainly be missed this week, especially against a tough Broncos defensive line. In place of Schwartz, veteran swing offensive lineman Mike Remmers will notch the start at right tackle for Kansas City. He’ll be tasked with slowing down former No. 5 overall draft pick, Bradley Chubb.

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Chiefs injury updates following Week 6 vs. Bills

The Kansas City Chiefs suffered a pair of injuries during their win over the Buffalo Bills.

The Kansas City Chiefs lost a pair of players to injury during the course of the Week 6 game against the Buffalo Bills.

First, Mitchell Schwartz was removed from the game with a back injury, one that had been reported for the first time on the final injury report on Saturday. Next, Alex Okafor suffered another hamstring injury after having suffered one in Week 1 against the Houston Texans.

While you never want to see players injured, the good news is that these two seem to be of the mild variety. Chiefs HC Andy Reid provided some updates following the game.

“So Alex Okafor strained his hamstring— the other hamstring,” Reid said. “I know it’s frustrating for him, but he’ll get that worked on.”

It’s not the same hamstring that Okafor pulled in Week 1 that kept him out until Week 4. Hopefully, this one causes him to miss little time. Okafor has played in just 13 of 25 possible games with the Chiefs since joining the team in 2019. His tenure in Kansas City has earned him the label of injury-prone unfortunately.

As for Schwartz, Reid said that his back was bothering him and they took him out because of it. He elaborated later in his press conference about the extent of the injury and whether Schwartz was close to sitting out tonight from the get-go.

“Yeah, he thought that maybe he could get through it and roll,” Reid said. “[His back] just started tightening up on him and so we made the switch there.”

It doesn’t sound like this should be a long-term type of injury for Schwartz, it just popped up late in the week and he tried to tough it out. It’s possible that with a few days of rest during practice this week, Schwartz could be ready to start in the Week 7 road game against the Denver Broncos.

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