On Wednesday, reports surfaced of former Kansas City Chiefs right tackle Jawaan Taylor signing with the Atlanta Falcons on a one-year deal.
According to ESPN, Taylor “is likely to step right in as the Falcons’ starting tackle” following the sudden retirement of Kaleb McGary, a former first-round pick who started 92 games for the Falcons over six seasons. In preparation for the 2025 season, McGary suffered a season-ending knee injury on the final day of training camp.
Eight months later, he announced
his retirement and made Atlanta’s front office think quickly on its feet. Taylor was signed for a base value of $5 million and an additional $1 million in incentives, providing a low-risk option to start on the blind side of left-handed quarterbacks Michael Penix and Tua Tagovailoa.
So how does this impact the Chiefs?
For the Chiefs, Taylor’s availability provided that same low-risk starting option for the offense, depending on how the rest of the offseason — specifically the NFL Draft — shakes out.
Currently, offensive tackle Jaylon Moore is slated to replace Taylor after Kansas City released the three-year starter last month, a move that felt inevitable because Taylor accounted for $20 million against the 2026 salary cap.
Moore filled in at right tackle during three games in 2025 (132 snaps), but manned left tackle for more than twice as many snaps (283) according to Pro Football Focus. That’s because starting left tackle Josh Simmons was unavailable for personal reasons through a month of the regular season, something that has to be considered looking ahead.
The immediate backup to either spot is Esa Pole, a second-year player who has plenty of room to grow before feeling cemented as the swing tackle. It does feel as if he has surpassed Wanya Morris, who enters the final year of his rookie deal.
It makes sense that the organization could leave draft weekend with a pick who has a path to starting at some point in his NFL career at offensive tackle, or at least provide legitimate competition for Moore on the right side at some point during the 2026 campaign. Morris could be pushed off the roster without a second thought.
If Kansas City does not land another player to insert into the mix at offensive tackle through the draft, Taylor may have been a reasonable signing to make, given the contract he demanded — but that is no longer an option. The Falcons had a more immediate need that gave Taylor a chance to be welcomed as a projected starter.
It would have been a similar move to the 2023 offseason, when the Chiefs signed veteran left tackle Donovan Smith after the draft.
If that opportunity had not presented itself, could Taylor have returned under the team’s new coaching staff, led by offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy? Could that new leadership have made a difference in the penalties Taylor was racking up?
It’s all hypothetical now. The team needs to ensure it has both offensive tackle positions in good shape for the near and long-term future; Taylor being off the table may have removed a safety net that general manager Brett Veach thought he had for the short term.
