Chiefs All-Pro Mitchell Schwartz undergoes back surgery

As ESPN's Adam Teicher explained, Schwartz was first sidelined by the problem during the Week 6 win over the Buffalo Bills. The 31-year-old previously made 134 consecutive regular-season starts but never returned to the Chiefs following the setback he suffered on Oct. 19. 

According to Spotrac, Schwartz carries a salary-cap hit of slightly over $10 million for 2021, the final season on his contract. 

Schwartz was one of several Kansas City starting offensive linemen who went down to injuries in 2020, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White admitted last week that his team focused on the Chiefs' shortcomings up front ahead of Super Bowl LV. 

"But the thing is, we knew they couldn’t block us," White explained of Kansas City coaches not scheming to better protect quarterback Patrick Mahomes. "We knew that our front four was gonna dominate them. So they did us a favor. They played right into our hands."