Chiefs Release Jawaan Taylor
Kansas City Chiefs are releasing right tackle Jawaan Taylor in a cap-saving move, clearing $20 million in space. Taylor was a key free agency signing just a year ago but becomes a headline casualty as the reigning champs recalibrate their roster for another title run.
Jawaan Taylor originally signed a four-year, $80 million contract with the Chiefs in March 2023, which included $60 million in guaranteed money. His release will leave the Chiefs with a dead cap hit of approximately $7.4 million. The move was a necessary step for a team facing a difficult salary cap situation. Before releasing Taylor and restructuring quarterback Patrick Mahomes' contract, the Chiefs had one of the worst salary-cap situations in the league. Penalties were a persistent issue during Taylor's time in Kansas City. In his first season, he led the NFL with 24 total penalties (21 accepted). The trend continued, with Taylor accumulating a high number of flags throughout his tenure with the team. Taylor's performance, particularly in run blocking, was also a point of concern. Pro Football Focus gave him a run-blocking grade of 43.8, ranking him 88th out of 89 qualifying tackles. While his pass blocking was graded higher, his overall performance did not consistently match his high salary. Initially, there was speculation that Taylor would play left tackle for the Chiefs, but that plan was quickly abandoned, and he spent his entire tenure at right tackle. He started every game he played for the team, including their Super Bowl LVIII victory. Prior to his time with the Chiefs, Taylor was drafted in the second round (35th overall) by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2019 NFL Draft. He played four seasons with the Jaguars before signing with Kansas City as a free agent.
