Chiefs land new center in free agency, agree to terms with ex-L.A. Ram Austin Blythe
The Chiefs have a new center for at least a year.
The Kansas City franchise on Tuesday agreed to terms with Austin Blythe on a one-year deal, a source familiar with the situation confirmed with The Star. The Athletic first reported the news.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
Blythe provides a veteran presence at the center position while the Chiefs transition to new starting tackles and in all likelihood the left guard position.
The 6-foot-3, 298-pound Blythe spent the past four seasons with the L.A. Rams, including the last three as a starter, and entered the league in 2016 as a seventh-round pick with the Indianapolis Colts.
Blythe, 28, has appeared in 71 games with 49 starts, 48 with the Rams, and should be the first man up to replace Austin Reiter, who remains an unrestricted free agent. The Chiefs had previously extended an offer to Reiter before changing direction to Blythe.
While adding Blythe addresses the center spot, the Chiefs need to find replacements at both tackle positions after releasing starters Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz before the start of the league’s new calendar year on March 17.
The Chiefs signed guard Joe Thuney during free agency and he projects as the left guard, with Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, who opted out due to COVID issues in 2020, returning to the right guard spot.
Through two weeks of free agency, here’s where the Chiefs stand:
PLAYERS SIGNED
- G Joe Thuney (from Patriots)
- OL Kyle Long (came out of retirement)
- TE Blake Bell (from Cowboys)
- DT Jarran Reed (formerly with Seahawks)
- C Austin Blythe (from Rams)
- DE Taco Charlton
- RB Elijah McGuire
- OL Mike Remmers
- S Daniel Sorensen
- RB Darrel Williams
RFA/ERFA PLAYERS TENDERED
- TE Nick Keizer
- LB Ben Niemann
- WR Byron Pringle
- OL Andrew Wylie
- CB Charvarius Ward
PLAYERS LOST
- DE Tanoh Kpassagnon (Saints)
- WR Sammy Watkins (Ravens)
- RB Damien Williams (Bears)
CURRENT UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
- RB Le’Veon Bell
- CB Bashaud Breeland
- CB Alex Brown (not tendered as ERFA)
- LT Eric Fisher
- CB Antonio Hamilton
- C Daniel Kilgore
- DE Alex Okafor
- G Kelechi Osemele
- DL Mike Pennel
- C Austin Reiter
- TE Ricky Seals-Jones
- RT Mitchell Schwartz
- FB Anthony Sherman (announced retirement)
- LB Damien Wilson
- G Stefen Wisniewski
- TE Deon Yelder (not tendered as RFA)
