Getty Former Kansas City Chiefs center Austin Blythe faces off against his old team with the Seattle Seahawks in 2022.
Austin Blythe signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in March of 2021, and the initial expectation was that he would start at either center or guard after Austin Reiter decided to join the Miami Dolphins.
Fate had other plans, as the Chiefs hit on draft picks Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith — who solidified the interior offensive line alongside Joe Thuney — transforming the KC blocking unit into the Super Bowl champion OL it is today. Blythe ended up playing out one more season with the Seattle Seahawks in 2022, starting all 17 games before announcing his retirement via Instagram on February 28.
“The last 7 years have been nothing short of amazing,” he voiced. “For a short, unathletic, undersized kid from Iowa, I’ve played a lot of football, met countless coaches and teammates that I can call friends, and made enough memories for myself and my family to last a lifetime. I am so grateful, and extremely blessed, to have played the game for any amount of time, let alone 7 years. The game has been a huge part of our lives for the last 12 years, dating all the way back to college. For everything the game has taught me about life, I will cherish it forever.”
The message continued, thanking family and coaches among others, but ended with a simple confirmation: “Retirement here we come!”
Austin Blythe’s Chiefs Career Was Brief
Although things didn’t quite work out for Blythe in Kansas City, he played his role respectfully in 2021 as a versatile backup behind Humphrey and Smith — and likely taught both rookies some things along the way.
All told, the veteran presence appeared in four games with the Chiefs, mixing snaps on offense and special teams. It was the first campaign of his NFL career that Blythe did not start a single game, spending time in Indianapolis and Los Angeles before KC.
With the Rams, the steady center even made it to a Super Bowl, starting 48 games over four seasons. Unfortunately, Los Angeles lost to the New England Patriots in the title game that year.
Now he’ll call it quits behind a career to be proud of. The Chiefs, on the other hand, are pretty set at center and guard for the foreseeable future.
Chiefs HC Andy Reid Is ‘Happy’ for Kansas City Hosting the NFL Draft
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid addressed the media on February 28 at the NFL Combine for the first time since the end of the season.
Big Red chatted about a few topics during the Q&A, but one was the upcoming NFL Draft in Kansas City, Missouri. “I think it’s great for Kansas City,” Reid told reporters when asked about the host title in 2023. “I think it’s great for the National Football League.”
He continued, joking that “[general manager] Brett Veach doesn’t have to go too far,” before noting that he’s “mainly happy for the city and the NFL for bringing it there.” The popular HC added that KC is a “great city.”
After winning the Super Bowl and playing in the AFC Championship as the home team for five straight seasons, the Chiefs feel like the center point of the league right now. Hosting the draft only furthers that notion.
Despite that vibe, Kansas City has to do their best to stay diligent this offseason. In the NFL, if you aren’t getting better, you’re getting worse — as the old adage goes. Everyone will be gunning for the Chiefs now, and Reid is the right coach to keep this team humble and focused as they try and continue their recent run of success.
“It’s a long road to get [to the Super Bowl],” Reid voiced later in the presser. “All the coaches that are talking here are making that their goal. We’re no different than that. We’re making that our goal [again in 2023].”