Nick Allegretti Continues to Learn While Preparing for First Career Start

Kansas City Chiefs left guard Nick Allegretti is expected to make his first career start against the Denver Broncos Sunday due to the back injury of right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, who will be replaced by the line's usual sixth man, Mike Remmers.

In the midst of a beat-up offensive line, Kansas City Chiefs interior offensive lineman Nick Allegretti seems to be fitting right in.

Allegretti stepped on the field after Mitchell Schwartz left Monday’s 26-17 win over the Buffalo Bills after Mike Remmers was forced to slide from left guard to right tackle due to Schwartz's injury.

Schwartz will remain out against the Denver Broncos this week, giving Allegretti the opportunity to make his first career start, six days after recording the highest snap count of his career.

“This guy is something.”

2014 All-American Nick Allegretti (@Gretti_53) is having a big night for the @Chiefs #ChiefsKingdom #AllAmericanBowl 🇺🇸

pic.twitter.com/5HTa0YAX2y

— All-American Bowl (@AABonNBC) October 19, 2020

The 24-year-old lineman said he’s ready for the challenge.

“One of Coach [Andy] Heck’s big things is preparation,” Allegretti said. “Everyone wants to win, everyone wants to play hard on game day, but the week leading up to it, that preparation is big. So, [I’ve] kind of developed a little bit of a system, I’m still learning from guys like Mitch and [Eric Fisher], how to prepare, what to watch. [I’m] just continuing to figure out what my style is.”

Allegretti said the Chiefs' veterans like Schwartz, left tackle Eric Fisher, defensive tackle Chris Jones and defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi helped prepare him to be a contributor.

He added that going up against Jones and Nnadi in practice has led to the largest growth within himself.

“I think that the D-Line we have here is an incredibly talented group,” Allegretti said. “Being able to go up against them day-in, day-out at practice and competing with them. Chris [Jones] is an incredible player, Derrick Nnadi is an incredible player. Being able to get those reps against them and slowly [beginning] to have success and learn things from them is huge. Just following the older guys. They taught me how to prepare physically and mentally for games.”

Allegretti and the Chiefs’ offensive line helped running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire to a career-high 161 yards on 26 rushes against the Bills.

Watch Nick Allegretti here. Gets a piece to help Fisher, climbs to the second level and walls off the linebacker.

In the meantime, Andrew Wylie is just hitting everyone in sight, and Kilgore gets directs his man out of the hole. pic.twitter.com/EWSJu47EQ0

— Seth Keysor (@RealMNchiefsfan) October 20, 2020

With the number of contributors the Chiefs have, those numbers could look different this week.

Even with 77 career offensive snaps — 65 of them occurring against the Bills — Allegretti said he’s ready to make the Chiefs' stars stand out. It's an attitude the Chiefs’ offensive line has consistently carried in recent years.

“Every day, if you [look] around the locker room, it’s incredible,” Allegretti said. “The talent that we have in the skill positions is wild. I get it, it’s my second year maybe you’ll get used to it, but you really don’t. There’s a lot of talent in our locker room and the only thing that we can do is give them a chance to show that talent."