Eric Fisher (American football)

Eric William Fisher (born January 5, 1991) is an American football offensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Chiefs first overall in the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football at Central Michigan University.

Early years

A native of Rochester, Michigan, Fisher attended Stoney Creek High School, where he was an All-State honorable mention lineman. Regarded as a two-star recruit by Rivals.com, he was not ranked among the best offensive tackle prospects in his class. He was undersized for an offensive tackle during high school only weighing 230 pounds according to Fisher.

College career

Fisher played at Central Michigan University from 2009 to 2012 where he was recognized as a first-team All-American by Pro Football Weekly, a second-team selection by Sports Illustrated, and received third-team honors from the Associated Press. He was also a first-team All-Mid-American Conference (MAC) selection. Fisher was a part of two bowl wins while at CMU; the 2010 GMAC Bowl and the 2012 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl.

Professional career

Fisher was widely considered one of the top 32 players available in the 2013 NFL Draft and one of the top offensive tackles. He was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs with the first overall pick, becoming the first MAC player to be drafted No. 1 overall. He joins Joe Staley as the only Central Michigan players ever to be selected in the first round of an NFL Draft.

On July 26, 2013, Fisher signed a guaranteed contract with the Chiefs worth $22.1 million with a $14.5 million signing bonus. Despite playing left tackle during college, Fisher transitioned to right tackle for the 2013 season. He allowed 7 sacks and 35 hurries. According to Pro Football Focus, his run-blocking grade of -6.5 ranked 55th out of 76 NFL tackles who played at least 25 percent of their team's snaps. His overall grade as a tackle ranked 70th. Despite Fisher's struggles during his rookie season, Chiefs general manager John Dorsey noted Fisher's potential and expressed confidence that he would develop into a good player. Fisher played in 14 games (13 starts) during his rookie year of 2013.

In March 2014, head coach Andy Reid announced that he was moving Fisher to the left tackle position for the upcoming 2014 season, following the loss of Branden Albert in free agency. During the 2015 season, Fisher played in 16 games, starting in 14.

On May 2, 2016, the Chiefs picked up Fisher's 5th year option on his contract making him a free agent following the 2017 season. If they did not pick up the option, he would have become a free agent following the 2016 season. On July 30, 2016, Fisher signed a 4-year contract extension with the Chiefs worth $48 million, including $40 million guaranteed. In week one, after a strong performance, Pro Football Focus ranked Eric Fisher as the number one left tackle of the week. In a playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, down two, on a successful two point conversion he was called for a holding penalty and on the second try the chiefs failed the two point try and the Steelers won the game 18–16.