The Kansas City Chiefs have two games remaining in what’s been an uncharacteristic season for them in 2025. One player who won’t be suiting up for those two games and therefore has likely played his final snaps in a Chiefs uniform is Jawaan Taylor.
The Chiefs signed Taylor to a four-year deal worth $80 million in 2023 and to say he hasn’t lived up to that deal would be an understatement. Taylor was originally brought in to slide over to left tackle even though he played right tackle in Jacksonville but then was able to stay at his original position due to the signing of Donovan Smith in 2023.
Taylor hasn’t been awful by any means but when his time in Kansas City does come to an end, what most people will remember about him is all of the penalties he amassed. In 2023, he led all offensive tackles in penalties with 20. In 2024, he was still toward the top of the league in penalties with 17. This year, he has the second-most amongst tackles with 13 flags thrown in his direction despite missing several games. Not great.
The Chiefs have a way to get out of Taylor’s contract this offseason, as they can cut him and only be on the hook for roughly $7 million in dead money. It feels like that’s a strong possibility to happen so it’s possible that we’ve seen the final snaps of Taylor’s Chiefs career.
Jawaan Taylor’s Chiefs career could be coming to an end
The Chiefs hoped that Taylor would help shore up their offensive line after losing their tackles in the 2023 offseason. While Taylor wasn’t necessarily awful, the penalties were a problem and it’s clear that this pairing just wasn’t meant to be.
Taylor did get a Super Bowl out of his Chiefs tenure though so it wasn’t all for naught. He was on the Super Bowl 58 squad and made it to Super Bowl 59 as well, so again, it could have been a much worse experience for him during his time in Kansas City. Oh yeah and he also made a crap load of money too.
There have been worse free agent signings for Kansas City but it’s safe to say that the Jawaan Taylor deal won’t necessarily go down as a great one in Chiefs fans’ books. The two sides will move on this offseason, K.C. will look for a new right tackle, and Taylor will try to land with the third team of his pro career. Such is life in the NFL.
