An offseason of alterations could be coming for the Kansas City Chiefs. Following a disappointing 6-11 season, general manager Brett Veach has his work cut out for him.
The 90- and 53-man rosters might look quite different by the time August and September roll around. Armed with limited resources, last year’s conference champions face some tough decisions.
One of them pertains to right tackle Jawaan Taylor. Although his contract runs for one more year, many wonder whether the veteran pass protector is staying or going. He didn’t offer thoughts on that dilemma, but he did have a message for fans.
Jawaan Taylor Drops Message at End of Chiefs’ Challenging Season
In a January 6 post on his official X account, Taylor thanked Chiefs Kingdom for their support.
Not the ending we imagined. But I’m thankful for the opportunity, the grind, the lessons, and the fans who never wavered. Through wins, losses, and everything in between Chiefs Kingdom showed up. That never goes unnoticed. Forever Grateful.
– 74. ❤️
“Year 7,” Taylor’s post began. “Not the ending we imagined. But I’m thankful for the opportunity, the grind, the lessons, and the fans who never wavered. Through wins, losses, and everything in between Chiefs Kingdom showed up. That never goes unnoticed. Forever Grateful. – 74 ❤️.”
Taylor, 28, just wrapped up his third season in Kansas City. The former Jacksonville Jaguars standout played in 12 regular-season games, logging 760 snaps. In the two years prior, he surpassed the 1,000-snap mark and played 95% or more of available snaps in games he was active for. An elbow/triceps injury ended Taylor’s season prematurely, seeing him miss Weeks 14-18.
Advanced metrics from Pro Football Focus didn’t love Taylor’s 2025 performance. Of 89 qualified tackles, he ranked as 80th overall with a 53.3 grade. A No. 88 mark for run blocking certainly didn’t help, but Taylor did slot in 49th for pass blocking. The outlet charged himn with 20 pressures and 3 sacks allowed in his snaps.
As has been the case in years past, penalties came back to bite Taylor this year. Per NFL Penalties, he was flagged 13 times in a dozen games, with 10 being accepted and non-offsetting. Six offensive holding infractions, four illegal formations, a pair of false starts and a face mask flag made up the list. Taylor’s pre-snap alignment has been an issue since he arrived with the Chiefs, dragging down his value.
That balance will have to be weighed in the team’s upcoming decision-making process.
Should Kansas City Move Off of Taylor’s Contract During Offseason?
Naturally, many are speculating about how much Taylor is worth to the Chiefs. He accounts for a whopping $27.39 million against the cap for 2026, the third-highest mark on the team. Only defensive tackle Chris Jones ($44.85M) and quarterback Patrick Mahomes ($78.21M) carry higher figures.
The cap hit consists of a $19.5M base salary, paired with $7.39M in a prorated signing bonus and a $500,000 workout bonus. Making up 9.2% of the projected team cap, Taylor must deliver good-to-great play to sniff justifying the deal. It doesn’t help that the penalties must be accounted for when analyzing his on-field play.
Back in late October, head coach Andy Reid chimed in on Taylor’s excessive penalties.
“I think it was just his mindset on things and making sure that he took care of business there,” Reid said. “I think he’s done a great job with it; I think that will continue. I’m not saying that he — every lineman has one here and there, but you don’t want to stack them up. That’s not a good thing. Right now, he’s playing real good football. That’s a plus. Even when he was jumping off, his numbers were rich as far as win percentage goes. Take care of that business, and he’s got something going right now.”
According to Over The Cap, the Chiefs can save $20M in cap space by cutting Taylor pre-June 1. That incurs a $7.39M dead cap charge, which is his signing bonus proration. Two other options, trading Taylor or extending him, could also be on the table.
As things currently stand, Taylor’s $20M average salary is sixth among all right tackles. It’s safe to say that even for as solid as he’s performed, he isn’t that level of player.
Considering that, the Chiefs have a decision to make.
Controversial Chiefs OT Pens Message Amid Cut Talks: ‘Forever Grateful’