After months of working toward a potential postseason return, Mitchell Schwartz was forced to watch his team lose the Super Bowl in street clothes.
Now he's taking the opportunity to get his back ailment fixed. The 31-year-old tackle underwent surgery to fix his injury and tweeted out that it was a successful surgery. Earlier in the day, he posted on social media saying "the recovery process isn't too long, which is nice."
Schwartz was limited to six regular-season games in 2020, his first campaign of his career in which he did not start in all 16 contests. Schwartz played his final game of the season in Week 6, helping the Chiefs defeat the team they'd eventually meet in the conference title game, the Buffalo Bills, 26-17.
Without Schwartz and fellow starting tackle Eric Fisher, the Chiefs were forced to start two backups in Super Bowl LV. The weakness was a key part of their downfall, as the Buccaneers consistently pressured Patrick Mahomes with base rushes, forcing him to cover more distance scrambling than any passer in the history of the Next Gen Stats era.
It's easy to see why the Chiefs will be happy to have Schwartz, who turns 32 in June, back in 2021.
Here is other news Around The NFL is monitoring on Wednesday:
- The Las Vegas Raiders released wide receiver Tyrell Williams, as expected. The sixth-year veteran was just two years into a four-year, $44.3 million deal. He caught 42 passes for 651 yards and six touchdowns in 2019 but missed all of last year with a torn labrum in his shoulder.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians told reporters that quarterback Tom Brady should be good to participate in team drills by June after undergoing a knee procedure this month. Buccaneers edge rusher Jason Pierre-Paul had surgery on his left knee on Wednesday, as he confirmed in an Instagram story. "Gotta get this s--- done so I can be 100 next year & not 70%," Pierre-Paul wrote. "Now that’s SCARY!!!!” NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Pierre-Paul's surgery was a "minor" cleanup.
- The New York Giants signed 29-year-old offensive lineman Jonotthan Harrison to an undisclosed contract. The former Colts and Jets center spent the 2020 season on the Bills' practice squad.
- Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman L.J. Collier told Good Morning Football that he underwent an ankle scope on Tuesday. "Just had to get my ankle cleaned out a little bit," Collier said. "It was a quick procedure. I'm in a boot now, so it really wasn't that bad, man. Got to let everybody know I'm straight." The Seahawks re-signed running back Alex Collins, who appeared in three games for Seattle last year in what was his second stint with the team.
- The Texans released defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes, who opted out of the 2020 season. The former third-round pick for the Raiders appeared in just three games with Houston after switching teams during the 2019 campaign.