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Former Chiefs offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz announced he is retiring from the NFL on Thursday. Schwartz hasn’t played since the 2020 season with the Chiefs where he injured his back during a practice and eventually missed the first game of his career. He would eventually recover, but he was never the same.
“I’m officially retiring from the NFL,” Schwartz said in the announcement. “It’s been almost two years since I injured my back. I had surgery last February and have been doing rehab ever since. I’m currently feeling as good as I have since then, but it’s clear my body won’t ever be the same.
“The nerve pain down my legs is no longer a daily occurrence, but it might never fully go away,” Schwartz continued.
Schwartz was drafted in the second round of the 2012 NFL draft out of Cal by the Browns where he never missed a game and started every appearance until he signed with the Chiefs in 2016. He started in every game from 2016 to 2019 and was an integral part to the team’s 2019 Super Bowl.
He was also named All-Pro four times in that same span until a practice before a Week 6 matchup against the Bills where he injured his back. Despite the injury, he played but left the game early and was eventually put on the injured reserve list. He underwent back surgery in February 2021 and was released the next month. Schwartz also said he and his wife are living in Kansas City permanently because of the bond he formed with the city.
“This city and its support is hard to describe until you’ve felt it personally,” he said. “I am forever a Chief and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
