#Chiefs cutting Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz is bad news for Patrick Mahomes

The Chiefs are surprisingly adding two huge names to the free agency pool – and Patrick Mahomes isn’t going to be happy about it.

Kansas City announced Thursday that they are releasing both of their starting offensive tackles, Mitchell Schwartz and Eric Fisher. The team will save around $18 million in cap space, according to Pro Football Talk.

Both Schwartz and Fisher were injured for the Chiefs’ Super Bowl loss to the Buccaneers, in which their offensive line was constantly dominated by Tampa Bay’s front seven. Mahomes was under constant pressure as the Chiefs offense failed to reach the end zone in the 31-9 defeat.

The move comes as a bit of a surprise, considering Kansas City has stated their desire to improve the offensive line in the offseason. Both Schwartz and Fisher are getting older and carry injury risk, but they’re arguably the team’s two best linemen when healthy. Fisher is a two-time Pro Bowler, and Schwartz was first-team All-Pro in 2018.

Both players were in the final years of their contracts. The Chiefs will now look to get younger at the position as they try to protect Mahomes.