Chiefs' Jawaan Taylor ‘on thin ice’ after NFL Draft

The Kansas City Chiefs entered this offseason knowing exactly what positional group they had to improve the most. The franchise’s performance against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX showed an offensive line that was both injury-prone and in complete disarray. 

Patrick Mahomes was subsequently under duress throughout the entire game and was sacked a total of six times. The front office has made a few key changes to this unit so far, including trading All-Pro guard Joe Thuney to the Chicago Bears, adding former San Francisco 49ers tackle Jaylon Moore, and drafting talented left tackle Josh Simmons out of Ohio State. 

According to USA Today NFL reporter Nate Davis, these moves could spell the end of Jawaan Taylor’s career as a starter in Kansas City. Davis points to the moves mentioned above as well as the right tackle’s lack of production since signing with the franchise a couple of years ago. 

“He’s (Taylor) been decidedly expensive since signing a four-year, $80 million contract two years ago yet decidedly average – at best – since. Since the Chiefs O-line was overrun in Super Bowl 59, they’ve added OT Jaylon Moore as a cheaper (2 year, $30 million) free agency hedge before drafting highly promising Josh Simmons in Thursday’s first round – his recovery from a torn patellar tendon likely the only thing to delay his entry into the starting lineup. 

Regardless, barring a dramatic turnaround, it’s appearing increasingly doubtful that Taylor reaches the final year of his deal in 2026.”

In 2024, Taylor received an overall grade of 59.9 from Pro Football Focus, which puts him 82nd overall among tackles. One of the areas the 27-year-old struggled with the most was penalties. Taylor had 17 penalties this past season, close to the bottom of the NFL among tackles. 

The Cocoa, Florida native ultimately isn’t going anywhere this year unless it's via a trade. Taylor currently carries a dead cap hit of over $34 million. However, that hit is reduced to $7 million if the Chiefs part ways with him next offseason. 

Overall, the right tackle has a lot to prove this coming season and will likely get the start in the first few games of 2025 as Simmons recovers from his injury. But Taylor will have to significantly improve his production if he wants to secure a long-term future in Kansas City

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