Getty Former Kansas City Chiefs right tackle Mitchell Schwartz made the news for going off on upset KC fans.
The Kansas City Chiefs are 8-4 after losing two out of their past three — which puts them in unfamiliar territory compared to recent seasons. And while some KC fans are up in arms about the roster construction or the performance, others are preaching patience.
One such fan is a former veteran starter of the franchise: Former All-Pro Super Bowl champion right tackle Mitchell Schwartz.
The long-time NFL iron man had a five-part viral message for any and all KC fans that are “upset” about the current record on December 4.
Mitchell Schwartz’s Viral Message to Chiefs Kingdom
Below is Schwartz’s social media rant in its entirety, which was posted on X.
“This is not for the majority of you but some of you need to hear it,” he began. “You got to chill if you’re this upset. Calling out the team for complacency or effort? Stop it. One guy got his leg snapped in half, another got kneed in the head by a 260 lb RB and laid face down for minutes.”
Continuing: “Unhappy with the GM or front office? 5 straight AFCCG hosted at Arrowhead, 3 Super Bowl appearances, 2 Super Bowls won, ONE OF WHICH WAS IN FEBRUARY. We’re 8-4, leading the division comfortably, and one game off the 1 seed. Great cap situation moving forward. They’ve done well.”
“It’s a much different team than we’re used to,” Schwartz acknowledged in post number three. “The offense is a lot worse compared to previous years. Guys don’t win on the outside, the OL creates a ton of penalties and negative plays, and the QB is bearing the brunt of that. You’re going to have to adjust your expectations.”
“But guess what? Our defense is better than it’s been with Pat [Mahomes],” he went on. “One game in [Green Bay] doesn’t define that side of the ball. They’ve been great all year and been holding this team together. It’s a well-rounded team, just not the dominant one (offensively in particular) that we’re used to.”
Finally, Schwartz concluded: “There’s no dominant teams in the AFC. We beat 2 of the 3 division leaders. In NFC [San Francisco] had a 3-game losing streak, something we’ve never sniffed. Philly is an unhappy 10-2. All the top teams have flaws. We have experience on our side once playoffs start. Stay patient and have trust.”
The first message of this rant has over 3.7K likes and counting.
Breaking Down Mitchell Schwartz Chiefs Rant in Week 14
Schwartz makes a lot of good points here, for the more pessimistic Chiefs fans out there.
Yes, this roster relies more on the defense than the offense for once. That’s okay. After all, most great defenses around the NFL don’t have Mahomes to fall back on.
He’s also correct that Brett Veach and Andy Reid should be lauded for what they’ve accomplished over the past five years, not criticized. Are they perfect? Of course not, but few organizations have been able to consistently win at a rate like this in NFL history.
Remember, this league is parity-based at its core when you consider both the NFL draft and schedule-making format.
Lastly, let’s pump the brakes on counting out the Chiefs this year. As Schwartz mentioned, KC has already beaten the Miami Dolphins and the Jacksonville Jaguars head-to-head. One of those games was on the road, the other was at a neutral site.
They have not played the Baltimore Ravens, but Lamar Jackson and John Harbaugh’s playoff track record is not even in the same realm as Mahomes and Reid’s. Those are the best three teams in the AFC besides Kansas City.
A few weeks from now, things could totally shift once again. As Coach Reid likes to point out, this is a “week-to-week league” and the 2023 season is far from over.