The Kansas City Chiefs had the epitome of consistency in their offensive line, and it was their former RT Mitchell Schwartz, who started in all 134 games that he played in his NFL career. His ability to shut down opposition pass rushers was a big reason behind the Chiefs clinching their first Super Bowl in 50 years in 2019.

The Chiefs’ offensive line struggled to maintain any form of consistency in the 2025 campaign. This resulted in Patrick Mahomes constantly getting targeted, as he was sacked 34 times. Jawaan Taylor played only 12 games and was later ruled out due to injury. This offseason, the franchise released him, and this opened the doors for a new offensive tackle on the team. Schwartz had announced his retirement in 2022 after a back injury. However, the lack of help on the Chiefs’ offensive line meant that rumours of him coming out of retirement opened.

The former All-Pro made his admission on the topic in his recent appearance on the Chiefs Collective podcast.

“I can break some news for you. I’m not coming out of retirement,” Schwartz confirmed.

The Chiefs’ OL allowed 47 sacks in the regular season in 2025, ranking 11th worst in the league per Statmuse. When your left tackle position ranks 32nd in pass blocking and your starting right tackle ranks 72nd overall per PFF, both edges become a nightmare for Patrick Mahomes. Looking at these stats, fans would have loved to see the return of Schwartz to the Chiefs roster.

In the 2019-Super Bowl winning season with Schwartz as the RT, the Chiefs ranked 3rd for the fewest sacks allowed at just 25. Mitchell Schwartz, who played 1,046 offensive snaps, was a big reason behind this incredible season.

During the 2019 regular season, he allowed only a single pressure across 142 pass-blocking snaps. This provided QB Patrick Mahomes with near-impenetrable protection on the right edge.

“I have long said… I would gladly—this was when Jawaan was on the team—but I would gladly take Jawaan’s paycheck. I’ll give you two, maybe three plays…” Shwartz further joked on the Chiefs Collective podcast.

Jawaan Taylor, who was the offensive tackle of the Chiefs, joined the Atlanta Falcons in the offseason. However, it would be an understatement to say that Schwartz would have been an upgrade over him.

Taylor, who was on a 4-year, $80 million contract ($60M guaranteed) signed in 2023, committed 49 penalties, 41 of which were accepted in his 45 games with KCC. He led the league with 24 penalties in 2023, then again with 19 in 2024, before ranking 3rd on that unwanted list with 13 penalties in 2025.

In contrast, Mitchell Schwartz maintained an incredible 7,894 consecutive-snap streak to start his NFL career. And he only committed 36 penalties in his 9-year career.

His retirement was a major blow to the Chiefs as he was a vital cog on the 2019 Super-Bowl winning team. However, the former player did not have a choice as the injury he suffered was significant.

Mitchell Schwartz’s career ended abruptly

The monstrous career that Mitchell Schwartz had was halted by one thing that wasn’t in his hands.

The 2018 PFF Bruce Matthews Award winner, an honor given to the best OL, suffered a severe back injury in October 2020 against the Buffalo Bills. He then underwent back surgery in February 2021 and missed the entire 2021 NFL season during rehabilitation.

After a year out of the game, Schwartz decided it was time to hang up his cleats after an eight-year career.

“It’s been almost two years since I injured my back. I had surgery last February and have been doing rehab ever since,” Schwartz noted in his retirement statement on July 15, 2022. “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.”

In just eight years, Schwartz had earned a lot of respect from his peers in the NFL. He was a Super Bowl champion and had already earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. The Chiefs were shaping up to be an almighty force in the NFL, and Schwartz could have comfortably held his position, but the injury forced him out of the game at the age of 33.

Had he stayed on longer, Schwartz could have won two more Super Bowl rings, but that was not what destiny had written for him. After his retirement, Schwartz has managed to stay close to the game with his role as a football analyst. He is the co-host of a Chiefs channel, The Chiefs Collective, which shows how closely he still follows his former team.