UNDATED (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have released starting offensive tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz as they try to squeeze under the salary cap.
The moves Thursday will provide another obstacle in their quest to upgrade an offensive line ransacked by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl. The Chiefs were more than $22 million over the cap of $182.5 million that was set Wednesday.
The release of Fisher and Schwartz saves about $18.3 million, leaving them able to restructure other contracts — and potentially extend players — and create enough financial wiggle room to maneuver in free agency.
In other NFL news:
— New Houston Texans coach David Culley reiterated Thursday that the team has no intention of trading Deshaun Watson despite the star quarterback’s request to be dealt. Culley, who was hired in January to replace Bill O’Brien, was asked more than a half-dozen times about Watson’s future with the team and every time he made it clear that he expects Watson to be Houston’s quarterback this season. Culley says: “He is our quarterback.”
— The Chicago Bears have rewarded kicker Cairo Santos for a club-record season by agreeing to a five-year, $16 million contract, according to a person familiar with the situation. Santos took advantage of his opportunity after Eddy Pineiro injured his groin in August, making 30 of 32 field goals and 36 of 37 extra points. He set a franchise record for consecutive field goals made and gave the Bears the stability they’d been seeking since they cut Robbie Gould before the 2016 season.
—The Buffalo Bills have re-signed linebacker Matt Milano to a four-year contract less than a week before the starter was eligible to become a free agent. The signing comes a day after the Bills freed up more than $14.4 million in space under the salary cap by releasing receiver John Brown and defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson.
— Punter Michael Palardy has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. Palardy, who grew up in South Florida, has a career average of 45.3 yards in six seasons, all with Carolina. Matt Haack, Miami’s punter the past four years, is a free agent.
—Thomas Davis and Greg Olsen, two beloved NFL players who developed into iconic figures in the Charlotte community, officially retired together on Thursday as members of the Carolina Panthers. Davis and Olsen signed one-day contracts with the Panthers and were honored jointly during a 90-minute virtual ceremony at Bank of America Stadium that was broadcast live on the team’s website. Panthers owner David Tepper said they are “family” to the people in Charlotte and welcomed them back home.
