The Chiefs have released star left tackle Eric Fisher, ending the former No. 1 overall draft pick’s eight-year run in Kansas City.
The move, announced Thursday, will save the reigning AFC champion Chiefs about $12 million against the salary cap. Kansas City also released starting right tackle Mitchell Schwartz.
Fisher, 30, was the first overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft and has been a fixture at left tackle for Kansas City, protecting Patrick Mahomes‘ blind side and helping the Chiefs reach the playoffs in seven of his eight seasons with the club.
A two-time Pro Bowler, Fisher suffered a torn Achilles tendon in last season’s AFC Championship Game and did not play in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Schwartz, 31, missed most of this past season with a back injury. The former All-Pro started 70 games for the Chiefs over the past five seasons.