Former Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz has announced his retirement from the NFL, and announced the news via a tweet Thursday.
“I’m officially retiring from the NFL,” Schwartz said. “It’s been almost two years since I injured my back. I had surgery last February and have been doing rehab ever since. I am currently doing as well as I have since, but it is clear that my body will never be the same. Nervous pain in my legs is no longer an everyday fact, but it may never go away.
“I really enjoyed my time in the NFL and I was very pleased with it. Winning the Super Bowl was the pinnacle of my career. My consecutive streak of 7,894 moments and all 4 All-Pro nominations are mine. most proud individual achievements, far exceeding my own expectations.I have met many fantastic people and created relationships that will last a lifetime.Football was a big part of my life and always will be.But I never defined myself only as a football player “.
Schwartz, 33, also had a consecutive streak of NFL starts that ended at 134 in 2020 when his back shot during the Week 6 game against the Buffalo Bills. It was the last time he appeared in an NFL game.
In all, Schwartz started 70 regular-season games and seven playoff games for Kansas City. He was named All-Pro of the first team in 2018 and was named All-Pro of the second team on three occasions (2016, 2017, 2019). And, of course, he was the right starter for Kansas City’s victory in Super Bowl LIV.
Schwartz originally entered the league as a second-round pick (37th overall) for the Cleveland Browns in 2012. The former University of California player joined the Chiefs as a free agent in 2016.
Since the Chiefs released Schwartz (and his offensive teammate Eric Fisher) before the 2021 season, he has been redefining himself through social media, posting about cooking and reacting to NFL news. Kansas City fans will continue to hear about it.