Former Kansas City Chiefs left tackle Eric Fisher signing with Colts, source says

Former Chiefs left tackle Eric Fisher has a new home.

The Colts are signing Fisher to a one-year deal, a source familiar with the situation confirmed Monday morning with The Star.

Financial details were not revealed, but ESPN, which was first to report the news, says Fisher is signing a one-year, $9.4 million deal.

The 6-foot-7, 315-pound Fisher entered the league as the No. 1 overall pick of the 2013 NFL Draft with the Chiefs.

After starting 13 games at right tackle during his rookie season, he became a mainstay at left tackle in 2014 and went on to earn two Pro Bowl selections in 2018 and 2020.

He appeared in 117 games with 113 starts, 100 coming at left tackle protecting the blindsides of quarterback Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes during his eight seasons in Kansas City. He even recorded a touchdown catch on a trick play, called “Catch and Release,” against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3 of the 2020 regular season.

Fisher suffered a torn Achilles tendon during the recent AFC Championship Game in January and did not play in the Chiefs’ 31-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV.

The Chiefs released Fisher and right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, who finished the past season on injured reserve with a back injury, in salary cap-saving moves before the start of March’s free agency.

But even then, Chiefs coach Andy Reid indicated before the 2021 NFL Draft that the door wasn’t closed for a potential return for both players.

The Chiefs, however, traded for two-time Pro Bowl tackle Orlando Brown Jr. less than a week before the start of the draft, and then used the draft to further bolster their offensive line by selecting highly-touted center Creed Humphry out of Oklahoma.

The Chiefs also signed guard Joe Thuney and offensive lineman Kyle Long to free-agent contracts.

With the Colts, the 30-year-old Fisher reunites with general manager Chris Ballard, who a few spent years on the Chiefs’ pro personnel staff (2013-16) before joining the Colts in 2017.

Fisher should have an immediate opportunity to compete for a starting job against Sam Tevi given left tackle Anthony Castonzo’s retirement.