Why does the NFL seem unaware of this Chiefs lineman’s greatness? Here’s his theory
Mitchell Schwartz is among the best in the world at his particular craft. He is a primary protector of Patrick Mahomes, tasked with keeping the NFL’s most valuable asset free from the carnage intended by stars like Von Miller, J.J. Watt and both Bosas.
All of that is true. So why doesn’t anyone outside Kansas City seem to know this?
The Chiefs’ right tackle has never made the Pro Bowl, an honor given to Elvis Grbac and Derek Anderson, among others.
He was named first-team All-Pro in 2018, and made the NFL’s top 100 (No. 94) after the season. You’d never guess what happened next.
He played all but three snaps in 2019 — a brief scare in Nashville — giving up a total of zero sacks against a schedule that featured 13 Pro Bowl pass rushers and won a Super Bowl.
His reward: dropped from the top 100, shut out from Pro Bowl mention, and demoted in All-Pro ranking. ESPN released a ranking of the league’s best 10 tackles this summer, and Schwartz wasn’t included.
Huh?
Schwartz has noticed. How could he not?
“Everyone wants (recognition),” he said. “It’s not something you’re saying, ‘No, I just completely don’t want it.’ Of course you want to be recognized for your play and by your peers.”
The disconnect between Schwartz’s performance and recognition has to be as big as anyone in the league. A theory exists to make sense of this.
When the Chiefs signed him as a free agent before the 2016 season, the front office believed he was severely underrated. Not by coaches or players, necessarily. But generally. That was logical. He played in Cleveland, winning just 19 games in four seasons, and blocked in the considerable shadow of likely Hall of Famer Joe Thomas.
But now? Come on.
Schwartz is an integral part of the NFL’s hottest show, the best and most consistent blocker for Mahomes to throw to Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. When Mahomes asked Eric Bieniemy if they had enough time to run wasp, he was asking if the line could hold up long enough to make it work. Watch the play again, and you’ll see Schwartz could’ve blocked his man for another hour.
So, the theory, if we can go old-school NBA here: Schwartz is Tim Duncan while playing a position that requires Dominique Wilkins to be noticed.
Let’s be honest: you don’t watch offensive linemen. Not the way you do quarterbacks, anyway, or even receivers or corners or linebackers.
Offensive linemen stand out in two ways: a highlight block, or giving up a sack.
Schwartz doesn’t do either very often. He’s big and strong but not superiorly athletic by NFL standards. His genius is in preparation and technique — his hands and feet where they need to be for that snap’s opponent.
This season, during Broncos week, you will read and hear about how Schwartz has given up just 1 1/2 sacks to Miller in eight games with the Chiefs. It’s a terrific stat. Schwartz will be gracious, and that he can’t think about that because Miller is one of the best to ever do it.
And then when the game comes, you probably won’t watch Schwartz much. That’s how it goes.
“It’s casual viewing of offensive line play,” Schwartz said. “Most people aren’t sitting down and studying and saying, ‘Alright I’m going to take a look at Mitch and watch every snap and see if he’s doing his job and oh wow that technique thing is really cool.’”
“People don’t pay that kind of attention to the O-line, so things you notice are the ‘Oh Wow’ plays. So, Quinton Nelson goes and smashes three dudes in one play, you say, ‘Oh wow, look at that.’ Or, you know, Trent Williams runs down on a screen and demolishes the DB: ‘Oh wow, look at that.’ I don’t have those plays.
“Just consistent and smooth and nothing really stands out unless you’re specifically looking for it. And I think that’s more probably the quote-unquote drawback to people noticing me is I don’t have those standout plays, necessarily, good or bad. It’s just kind of like a set-it-and-forget-it type of thing.”
Which is, you know, actually perfect for a lineman. That consistency might be even more valuable with this Chiefs offense. They have so many moving parts. Sight reads. A quarterback who likes to play outside the pocket. Complicated screens that require linemen and receivers to be in specific spots at exactly the right moment.
Schwartz’s style is an awful fit for recognition. But in a lot of ways he’s built for this specific offense.
“It’s crazy to not see him on that list with how clean he keeps the pocket,” Mahomes said. “But we understand as a group that when you win Super Bowls, everybody’s going to get the recognition they’re going to get after their career is over. I think that’s what you’ll see with Mitch. Once his career is over and you look back on it you’ll see how great of a player he’s been from beginning to end.”
These awards are worth differentiating. Schwartz does not care about the Top 100. He’s seen how that voting goes, calling it “a five-minute thing” where guys vote for their friends or favorite players or names they hear talked about a lot. He sees the Pro Bowl a little differently, believing that with two-thirds of the vote done by players and coaches he would’ve registered a little better.
One consistent booster: Pro Football Focus. The site employs a team of analysts who grade every player on every snap, and Schwartz’s cold, precise, steady way plays well there. He’s been the fifth-best tackle — left or right — each of the last two seasons.
Schwartz said that he has felt slightly more recognition — not from awards, necessarily, but more generally — as PFF’s profile has grown.
It’s a strange thing. All good NFL players have some level of recognition, which is boosted through team success. But somehow, Schwartz is like the last exception, the man keeping the game’s biggest star safe in relative anonymity.
Awards are nice, but Schwartz can take a hint.
“I’m kind of resigned to the fact at this point,” he said.