KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Left tackle Eric Fisher has had more than his share of tough times in the Kansas City Chiefs' first two preseason games. But was it realistic to expect more from Fisher at this point?

Probably not. Fisher had offseason surgeries to repair a sports hernia and a balky shoulder. He missed valuable time in the weight room last winter and every snap during the team portion of offseason practice.

So expecting Fisher, who struggled as a rookie right tackle last season, to be a polished player two weeks into the preseason at his new position is a bit much.

“Coming off two surgeries you’ve got to go through some stuff and get stronger every day,’’ Fisher said Tuesday. “That’s kind of what I’m going through, that’s what the preseason is for, that’s what I’m out here doing. Obviously, sometimes after a major surgery, your shoulder is going to get a little tired, your body is going to get a little tired. You’ve got to fight through that and just keep going. But as you recover you get stronger and that’s what I’m going through right now.’’

There’s a deadline of sorts for Fisher in that quest. It’s not Saturday night’s preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings at Arrowhead Stadium or the final exhibition game on Aug. 28 against the Packers in Green Bay.

It’s the regular season opener on Sept. 7 against the Tennessee Titans at Arrowhead. Fisher has three weeks to prepare himself, and he needs to take advantage of every minute.

Sept. 7 is coming quickly and Fisher should and will be judged a lot more harshly if he’s still playing this way then.