# Eric Fisher (American football)
**Eric Fisher** (born 1991) is a former [American football](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-football) offensive tackle who was selected first overall by the [Kansas City Chiefs](https://www.edgepedia.org/kansas-city-chiefs) in the 2013 NFL Draft out of [Central Michigan University](https://www.edgepedia.org/central-michigan-university), played eight seasons for the Chiefs, won Super Bowl LIV with the team, and finished his career with the Indianapolis Colts in 2021.[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FishEr00.htm) • [2](https://www.nfl.com/news/eric-fisher-goes-no-1-to-kansas-city-chiefs-in-nfl-draft-0ap1000000163372)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1991, Rochester, Michigan[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FishEr00.htm) |
| Draft | 1st round, 1st overall, 2013 NFL Draft, Kansas City Chiefs[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FishEr00.htm) |
| Draft distinction | First Mid-American Conference player ever taken No. 1 overall; first offensive lineman taken first overall since Jake Long in 2008[3](https://www.chiefs.com/news/chiefs-select-ol-eric-fisher-with-first-pick-9968066) |
| Career games | 132 games over nine seasons (Chiefs 2013–2020, Colts 2021)[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FishEr00.htm) • [4](https://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/nfl-draft-history/2000/2013) |
| Honors | Two-time Pro Bowler; Super Bowl LIV champion[4](https://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/nfl-draft-history/2000/2013) • [1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FishEr00.htm) |
| Chiefs tenure | Started 113 of 128 possible games over eight seasons; released March 2021[5](https://as.com/us/us/2021/03/11/nfl/1615488925_059034.html) |
| Final season | 15 games for the Indianapolis Colts in 2021; last played in 2021[6](https://www.nfl.com/players/eric-fisher/stats/career) • [1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FishEr00.htm) |
## College career at Central Michigan
Fisher came out of Stoney Creek High School in Rochester Hills, Michigan as a 250-pound tackle who captained both the football and basketball teams, and he was not widely recruited out of high school.[3](https://www.chiefs.com/news/chiefs-select-ol-eric-fisher-with-first-pick-9968066) At Central Michigan he played in 42 games with 32 starts: 26 at left tackle, four at right tackle, and two at right guard.[7](https://www.chiefs.com/news/chiefs-sign-top-pick-eric-fisher-10555685) As a junior in 2011 he started the first 10 games at left tackle and was a co-recipient of the school's Upfront Player of the Year award.[3](https://www.chiefs.com/news/chiefs-select-ol-eric-fisher-with-first-pick-9968066)
His 2012 season made him a draft prospect. Starting all 13 games at left tackle, he earned first-team All-MAC honors while blocking for running back Zurlon Tipton, who rushed for 1,492 yards and 19 touchdowns, and for quarterback Ryan Radcliff, who threw for 3,158 yards.[3](https://www.chiefs.com/news/chiefs-select-ol-eric-fisher-with-first-pick-9968066)
## Rise to the top of the 2013 draft
Fisher arrived at the Senior Bowl in [Mobile, Alabama](https://www.edgepedia.org/mobile-alabama) in January 2013 as a player not commonly viewed as a top-10 pick, and his week there changed his standing; [NFL Network](https://www.edgepedia.org/nfl-network) analyst [Mike Mayock](https://www.edgepedia.org/mike-mayock) said he "pitched a shutout" against the competition.[2](https://www.nfl.com/news/eric-fisher-goes-no-1-to-kansas-city-chiefs-in-nfl-draft-0ap1000000163372) • [3](https://www.chiefs.com/news/chiefs-select-ol-eric-fisher-with-first-pick-9968066) At the 2013 NFL Scouting Combine he ran the short shuttle in 4.44 seconds, bench pressed 225 pounds 27 times, and measured 6-7 1/4 with 34.5-inch arms.[8](https://www.nfl.com/news/eric-fisher-ezekiel-ansah-among-nfl-draft-s-future-pro-bowlers-0ap1000000147380) Scouts compared him to San Francisco 49ers Pro Bowl tackle Joe Staley, a fellow Central Michigan product.[3](https://www.chiefs.com/news/chiefs-select-ol-eric-fisher-with-first-pick-9968066)
The Kansas City Chiefs, under new general manager John Dorsey and first-year head coach [Andy Reid](https://www.edgepedia.org/andy-reid), chose Fisher with the first overall pick on April 25, 2013, choosing him over Texas A&M tackle [Luke Joeckel](https://www.edgepedia.org/luke-joeckel).[2](https://www.nfl.com/news/eric-fisher-goes-no-1-to-kansas-city-chiefs-in-nfl-draft-0ap1000000163372) The pick carried several distinctions: Fisher became the highest draft selection ever from Central Michigan and the [Mid-American Conference](https://www.edgepedia.org/mid-american-conference), the first offensive lineman taken first overall since Jake Long in 2008, and only the third offensive tackle picked No. 1 since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, after Orlando Pace (1997) and Jake Long (2008).[3](https://www.chiefs.com/news/chiefs-select-ol-eric-fisher-with-first-pick-9968066) • [9](https://www.si.com/nfl/2013/04/26/nfl-draft) He was also the first of five offensive tackles and nine offensive linemen taken in that first round.[7](https://www.chiefs.com/news/chiefs-sign-top-pick-eric-fisher-10555685)
## Kansas City Chiefs (2013–2020)
Fisher began his rookie season on the right side; in March 2014, coach Andy Reid confirmed that the No. 1 pick would move to left tackle, the position he was drafted to play.[10](https://www.nfl.com/news/eric-fisher-will-be-kansas-city-chiefs-new-left-tackle-0ap2000000336601) Over eight seasons he started 113 of 128 possible games for the Chiefs.[5](https://as.com/us/us/2021/03/11/nfl/1615488925_059034.html)
His play improved markedly in the second half of the decade. [Pro Football Focus](https://www.edgepedia.org/pro-football-focus) noted that from Week 11 through the [Super Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl) in the 2019 season he was the NFL's highest-graded offensive tackle, and that he was just the fourth offensive lineman in the previous 50 years to be taken first overall, joining [Jake Long](https://www.edgepedia.org/jake-long), Orlando Pace, and Ron Yary.[11](https://www.pff.com/news/pro-kansas-city-chiefs-lt-eric-fisher-is-finally-hitting-his-stride-in-the-nfl) In 2020 he was named to his second Pro Bowl as a mainstay of an offensive line that allowed only 22 quarterback sacks across the entire regular season.[5](https://as.com/us/us/2021/03/11/nfl/1615488925_059034.html)
The 2020 season ended in injury: Fisher tore his [Achilles tendon](https://www.edgepedia.org/achilles-tendon) in the [AFC Championship Game](https://www.edgepedia.org/afc-championship-game) and missed [Super Bowl LV](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl-lv), in which a Chiefs line missing both starting tackles allowed Patrick Mahomes to be sacked three times and pressured 10 times in a 31–9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[5](https://as.com/us/us/2021/03/11/nfl/1615488925_059034.html) He had won a championship the year before, as a starter on the Chiefs team that captured Super Bowl LIV in February 2020.[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FishEr00.htm)
In March 2021 the Chiefs released Fisher and fellow starting tackle Mitchell Schwartz, moves driven largely by the salary cap.[5](https://as.com/us/us/2021/03/11/nfl/1615488925_059034.html)
## Indianapolis Colts and later career
Fisher signed with the Indianapolis Colts and played 15 games at tackle in 2021, his final NFL season.[6](https://www.nfl.com/players/eric-fisher/stats/career) • [1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FishEr00.htm) His career totals stand at 132 games played, one Super Bowl title, and two Pro Bowl selections, with a Weighted Career Approximate Value of 62.[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FishEr00.htm) • [4](https://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/nfl-draft-history/2000/2013)
## Assessment
The 2013 draft class is widely regarded as a weak one, and Fisher's career has been judged against that context. Spanish-language analysis in 2017 called the 2013 draft one of the worst in recent memory, noting that of the top three picks, only Fisher was having a decent career, though far below what is expected of a No. 1 selection.[12](https://as.com/us/us/2017/03/07/nfl/1488910907_305310.html) Fisher himself acknowledged after the draft that his rise to the top pick surprised even him, saying "I still can't believe it" on draft night.[2](https://www.nfl.com/news/eric-fisher-goes-no-1-to-kansas-city-chiefs-in-nfl-draft-0ap1000000163372) His eight years as a Chiefs starter, two Pro Bowls, and Super Bowl ring place him among the more durable and productive players of that class.[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FishEr00.htm) • [5](https://as.com/us/us/2021/03/11/nfl/1615488925_059034.html)
## References
1. [Eric Fisher Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College, Pro-Football-Reference.com](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FishEr00.htm)
2. [Eric Fisher goes No. 1 to Kansas City Chiefs in NFL draft, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/news/eric-fisher-goes-no-1-to-kansas-city-chiefs-in-nfl-draft-0ap1000000163372)
3. [Chiefs Select OL Eric Fisher with First Pick, Chiefs.com](https://www.chiefs.com/news/chiefs-select-ol-eric-fisher-with-first-pick-9968066)
4. [The 2013 NFL Draft, Pro Football Hall of Fame](https://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/nfl-draft-history/2000/2013)
5. [Chiefs anuncian la salida de sus dos tacles titulares Eric Fisher y Mitchell Schwartz, AS.com](https://as.com/us/us/2021/03/11/nfl/1615488925_059034.html)
6. [Eric Fisher Career Stats, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/players/eric-fisher/stats/career)
7. [Chiefs Sign Top-Pick Eric Fisher, Chiefs.com](https://www.chiefs.com/news/chiefs-sign-top-pick-eric-fisher-10555685)
8. [Eric Fisher, Ezekiel Ansah among NFL draft's future Pro Bowlers, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/news/eric-fisher-ezekiel-ansah-among-nfl-draft-s-future-pro-bowlers-0ap1000000147380)
9. [Chiefs select OT Eric Fisher first overall in NFL draft, Sports Illustrated](https://www.si.com/nfl/2013/04/26/nfl-draft)
10. [Eric Fisher will be Kansas City Chiefs' new left tackle, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/news/eric-fisher-will-be-kansas-city-chiefs-new-left-tackle-0ap2000000336601)
11. [Kansas City Chiefs LT Eric Fisher is finally hitting his stride in the NFL, Pro Football Focus](https://www.pff.com/news/pro-kansas-city-chiefs-lt-eric-fisher-is-finally-hitting-his-stride-in-the-nfl)
12. [El espantoso, horroroso, nada óptimo draft de la NFL 2013, AS.com](https://as.com/us/us/2017/03/07/nfl/1488910907_305310.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › American football players, coaches, and executives › Offensive tackles*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license