End of the Line

Mitchell Schwartz Retires after Nine Seasons in NFL Trenches

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Mitchell Schwartz is calling it a career—and what a career it was!

On July 14, the 33-year-old  announced his retirement following nine successful seasons in the National Football League. He sat out all of last season after undergoing back surgery on Feb. 24, 2021, a consequence of battling it out in the trenches with the best of them.

Schwartz delivered the news via social media last Thursday, tweeting:

“I’m officially retiring from the NFL. 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.

“I’ve enjoyed so much about my time in the NFL and am walking away feeling very fulfilled.  Winning the Super Bowl was the pinnacle of my career. My 7,894 consecutive snaps streak and four All-Pro nominations are my proudest individual accomplishments, far exceeding my own expectations.  I’ve met so many great people and forged relationships that will last a lifetime.  Football was a big part of my life and always will be.  I love the game and have a passion for sharing my knowledge but I never defined myself as only a football player.  I have other interests that I’ll have much more time to explore: food/cooking and my ‘Mitch in the Kitch’ series, travel, golf, horology, but most importantly I’ll have more time with my wife, Brooke and our two little dogs.

 “I would not have had the career I did or become the person I have without Brooke. She helps me in all facets of life and has always had my back and been by my side, during both my happiest and darkest moments. Football was the highest stressor in my life and I didn’t realize the toll it took on my mental health.  Brooke will tell you this past year has been my happiest by far, without the pressure of being an offensive lineman and performing to the level I expect of myself.

“There are a lot of people to thank, but I’ll highlight those who impacted me most. Chronologically, my family, who have always supported me since the beginning; Jim Michalczik, my college OL Coach and the one who taught me the fundamentals and principles I used my entire career; the Cleveland Browns and Tom Heckert for drafting me and giving me my start; George Warhop, my first NFL OL Coach, for believing in me and developing me through the early bumps and struggles, and for teaching me the vertical set (and the three-step short set) that became my trademark pass set and allowed me to thrive; thank you to Andy Reid for bringing me to Kansas City. He is the best coach you can ask for and an even better person. It was a privilege to sit in those meetings and hear him speak. It is special being a part of his offense and his football team;   to Brett Veach and Brandt Tilis for their ability to put a championship team on the field every year, and for seeing my value when it was time to renegotiate; to Andy Heck for his steadying presence and leadership in the OL room. I learned a lot of new techniques and ideas in KC and Coach Heck allowed me the freedom to utilize my skillset while also giving me more tools to use. He understands the mental component of being a lineman and knows how to bring out the best in his players; a special thank you to Clark Hunt and his family. The Kansas City Chiefs are a world class organization and it starts at the top. Their direction allows everyone to flourish and their reputation, with Coach Reid as HC, was fundamental in my decision to come to Kansas City; thanks for my teammates in Cleveland and KC. This game is only as fun as the people you spend your time with and I was lucky to have the best teammates throughout my career.

“My last thank you is to Kansas City and all of the Chiefs fans.  Being a Chief is so much more than putting on a red jersey. It has been a privilege to represent you on and off the field. The bond I’ve formed with this city and the people here lasts forever and is a big reason why Brooke and I are staying in KC long term. There was no better indication of the magnitude of Chiefs Kingdom than the parade.  Seeing that Sea of Red was amazing and put into perspective just how many people cheer us on, knowing there were many more that couldn’t attend. This city and its support is hard to describe until you’ve felt it personally. I am forever a Chief and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

Schwartz, who was born in Pacific Palisades and graduated from Palisades High in 2007, followed in the footsteps of his older brother Geoff, who played for four different teams in his eight seasons as an offensive guard and tackle, retiring in 2017. Geoff won the Palisadian-Post Cup Award as Pali High’s outstanding senior athlete in 2004. Geoff, now a Fox Sports Radio analyst and podcaster, tweeted: “So proud of your well-deserving accomplishments in your career. Now it’s time to get the golf game to an All-Pro level.”  

The brothers authored a book titled “Eat My Schwartz: Our Story of NFL Football, Food, Family, and Faith” in 2016, the same year they were inducted into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Geoff and Mitchell are the first Jewish brothers to play in the NFL since Ralph Horween and Arnold Horween in 1923.

A highlight for both siblings came in 2013 when, with their parents Lee and Olivia watching from the stands, they faced off for the first time in an NFL game, with Geoff’s Chiefs beating Mitchell’s Browns 23-17 in Kansas City.

The 6-5, 320-pound Mitchell was drafted in the second round in 2012 out of UC Berkeley by Cleveland while 6-6, 330-pound Geoff was taken in the seventh round of the 2008 draft out of the University of Oregon by the Carolina Panthers. Geoff played for the Panthers from 2008-11 and spent the 2012 season with the Minnesota Vikings before signing with Kansas City in 2013. He ended his career with the New York Giants. Mitchell spent his first four NFL seasons with the Browns then signed with Kansas City in 2016 as a free agent. He was an All-Pro every season from 2016-19, including a first-team honoree in 2018. That year, he and Geoff joined five other Jewish NFL football players in meeting Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his office in Jerusalem.

Amazingly, Mitchell did not start playing football until he was a freshman at Pali High. When he started ninth grade he was already too big for Pop Warner. He wanted to be a quarterback but given his size he quickly moved to offensive tackle  where he was a four-year starter under Jason Blatt (2003) and Leo Castro (2004-06). He was regarded as a three-star offensive tackle prospect by Rivals.com, was a two-time All-State Underclassman and earned All-Western League and All-City honors as a junior. As a senior, he was the Western League and City Section Offensive Lineman of the Year while holding a  4.3 GPA and making the Dean’s List. He received offers from Cal, Michigan, Stanford, Virginia, Tennessee, Oregon and Washington State but chose to remain on the West Coast at Cal. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in American Studies but not before starting all 51 games possible from 2008–11 at either left tackle (35 starts) or right tackle (16 starts), falling one start short of the school record and missing only one snap when he had to come out after his shoe lace snapped and he had to leave the field to have it replaced.

Schwartz was drafted in the second round with the 37th overall pick by the Cleveland Browns in the 2012 NFL Draft—Cal’s highest selection and signed a four-year contract for $5.17 million. He

started all 16 games and all 1,064 offensive snaps in his rookie year at right tackle and made the Pro Football Focus All-Rookie Team.

On March 9, 2016, Schwartz signed a five-year, $33 million contract with Kansas City, making him one of the highest-paid right tackles in the NFL. That season he was named to the Associated Press All-Pro Second Team.   

Mitchell would become the NFL’s iron man with an incredible streak of 7,894 consecutive offensive snaps to begin his career, then the longest active streak in the league, before a knee injury forced him to miss three snaps of a defeat to Tennessee in a midseason game in 2019. He didn’t miss a game that year, though, and also started all three of the Chiefs’ postseason games, including a 31-20 triumph over the San Francisco 49ers in Super  Bowl LIV, to earn his first championship ring.

The following season he injured his back in practice prior to the Chiefs’ Week 6 game with Buffalo. He played despite the pain but for the second time in his career, he left the game after aggravating the injury. On October 23, the Chiefs announced Schwartz would miss their Week 7 contest with Denver, the first time as a pro he missed a game. He was put on the reserve/COVID-19 list Nov.16, 2020 and activated three days later. He was placed on injured reserve on Nov. 21 and  two weeks after  his back surgery in February was released after five seasons with the Chiefs. After not playing the entire 2021 season and watching Kansas City lose the AFC Championship game  to Cincinnati, Schwartz opted to retire. He made CBS Sports’ NFL All-Decade Team and no one is prouder of him than Geoff.