Veteran Offensive Lineman Jawaan Taylor Set To Be Released By Kansas City Chiefs
UPDATE: The Chiefs informed Taylor that he was officially released today officially becoming a free agent.
The Kansas City Chiefs are officially moving on from Jawaan Taylor. The team informed the veteran right tackle that he’ll be released before the new league year kicks off on March 11, barring a trade. The move saves Kansas City $20 million in cap space.
Why the Chiefs Had No Choice But To Release Taylor
When the Chiefs signed Taylor to a four-year, $80 million deal back in 2023, it felt like a bold but sensible investment. The offensive line needed stability. Patrick Mahomes needed protection. Taylor, fresh off a solid run in Jacksonville, looked like the answer.
And for a while? He was. Taylor helped anchor the line during Kansas City’s run to yet another Super Bowl title in 2023 — the NFL’s first repeat champion in two decades. Credit where it’s due.
But football has a way of humbling everyone, and his tenure with the Chiefs slowly turned into a highlight reel no one wanted to watch. Penalties. Injuries. More penalties. The guy committed 49 penalties across just 45 games.
Taylor’s Injury Woes Sealed the Deal
It wasn’t just the flags that did Taylor in. Injuries became a recurring subplot. A partially torn meniscus in 2024 sapped his effectiveness at a time when the Chiefs needed him most. Then, in 2025, a serious elbow and triceps injury cost him multiple weeks, limiting him to just 12 games. When you’re paying a guy $80 million to be a cornerstone of your offensive line, you need him on the field. Taylor simply wasn’t available enough.
Kansas City’s Cap Situation Was Getting Ugly
Here’s some context that makes this move feel even more urgent: the Chiefs entered the offseason more than $57 million over the salary cap. Releasing Taylor chips away $20 million of that deficit. Combined with the earlier release of Defensive End Mike Danna and the restructuring of Mahomes’ contract, Kansas City has clawed back roughly $53 million in breathing room. They’re still not done, either.
Linebacker Drue Tranquill and Tight End Noah Gray could be next, with potential restructures for Chris Jones and Creed Humphrey also on the table.
What This Means For the Chiefs’ Offensive Line
This is where things get a little uncomfortable for Chiefs fans. Releasing Taylor doesn’t just solve a cap problem — it creates a new one. The offensive line was already shaky in front of Mahomes last season, and removing a starting tackle doesn’t exactly scream “we’ve got this figured out.”
Jaylon Moore, a five-year veteran who signed a two-year, $30 million deal, is expected to slide into the starting right tackle role. Moore is a capable player, but he’s not exactly a name that sends opposing pass rushers into panic mode. The Chiefs are betting on him to hold down one of the most important positions on the offense.
Where Does Taylor Go From Here?
At 28 years old, Taylor still has plenty of football left. The elbow injury from last season is a concern, but he’s expected to be healthy and available when free agency opens. Given the league’s never-ending demand for offensive tackle help, Taylor will have suitors.
He’s a former second-round pick out of Florida with starting experience, Super Bowl pedigree, and legitimate pass-blocking ability. Some team will take a shot on him, likely on a prove-it deal. Whether he can clean up the mental errors and stay healthy is the question that’ll follow him into whatever locker room comes next.
The Bottom Line On Taylor’s Chiefs Exit
This was a business decision. The Chiefs couldn’t afford Taylor, and his on-field performance over the last two seasons didn’t justify finding a creative way to keep him around. The penalties were too frequent, the injuries too costly, and the cap number too steep.
Kansas City is in reset mode. The dynasty isn’t over, but it needs a tune-up. Cutting Taylor is one piece of a much larger puzzle that GM Brett Veach is scrambling to solve before March 11.
