What came as a shock to many was the release of Kansas City Chiefs starting tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz. This gifted the Chiefs with a mere $18 million in cap space but leaves them entering the offseason with both tackles spots an area of need to protect Patrick Mahomes.
Both Fisher and Schwartz have been big-time players in Kansas City for quite some time now and have been fixtures of the team, being one of the top offensive tackle duos in the league for a while. Now, if you watched the Super Bowl it was clear the Chiefs needed offensive line help, which makes the releases of Fisher and Schwartz all that more confusing. Both the linemen are currently recovering from injuries that held them out of the Super Bowl.
Where the Chiefs stand at offensive tackle
With this move, third-round pick Lucas Naing looks to be the apparent starter after the rookie opted out for the season in 2020. On the other side, questions arise though. Mike Remmers, who started at left tackle in the Super Bowl, is a restricted free agent and could be due for an upgrade. Andrew Wiley, who played both right tackle and guard for the team this past season, is also a free agent. Currently, the team has four tackles under contract for the 2021 season, which makes the offensive line the clear top priority for the Chiefs entering the offseason.
Lucky for the Chiefs though, the offensive line group in the 2021 NFL Draft is chock-full of starting level talent you could find on day one or two.